Interview with Prof. Dr. Jacob Hamann-Lohmer

© Jacob Hamann-Lohmer

Jacob Hamann-Lohmer has been appointed Professor of Digitalization and Supply Chain Management at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, where he has been working since 01.09.2025. He studied Industrial Engineering and Management at the Faculty and then worked as a research associate and completed his doctorate at the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Logistics, under Prof. Dr. Rainer Lasch. In this interview, he talks about his career path to date, which initially took him into practice after his doctorate, the new challenges and how he looks back on his time at the Faculty.

1) Congratulations on becoming Chair of Digitalization and Supply Chain Management, which you took up on 1 September at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society. What are your expectations for this new chapter in your professional life?

Thank you very much! I'm looking forward to passing on my knowledge from my time at TU Dresden and my practical experience to students. My aim is to combine theory and practice and to prepare students for their careers in the best possible way. At the same time, I want to strengthen the university as a partner for industry and drive forward my own research projects. The first few semesters will certainly be challenging, but I have a lot of interesting courses to prepare.

2) After completing your doctorate at Prof. Lasch's Chair, you first went into practice and worked first at BIKE24 and then at Sunfire. Was it your medium-term plan to first gain practical experience and then continue your academic career?

To be honest, I didn't have any great ambitions to return to academia until a year ago. But the university in Ludwigshafen convinced me with its logistics courses and its focus on digital transformation in the new curriculum and they also made a great effort to attract me. I am now looking forward to teaching theory in a clear and needs-oriented way with authentic insights from practice.

3. What experiences have you gained from the three years you worked as a supply chain manager and Head of Operations Planning for your new role at the university?

I think, I now have a much better understanding of where typical companies in Germany stand in the context of digitalization and global competition and what is important teaching content that gives students a good start in business. I hope that my practical experience will help to supplement the theoretical teaching content and show students, for example, which strategic decisions have an impact on operational processes or how to solve complex problems under real time pressure.

4. You studied Industrial Engineering and Management at the Faculty and then worked as a research associate at the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Logistics until your doctorate in 2022. When you think back to your time at TU Dresden, what do you remember particularly positively?

I have particularly positive memories of the interdisciplinary exchange and close collaboration with colleagues and professors. My time at TU Dresden shaped me both professionally and personally and gave me a solid scientific foundation that I still benefit from today.