Jul 24, 2026
Visiting Researcher from Białystok at the IHI Zittau
IHI Director Prof. Thorsten Claus (left) welcomes Prof. Elżbieta Skąpska (center) and Prof. Oksana Makovoz (left) for a meeting to discuss cooperation
From July 1 to 31, 2026, the IHI Zittau hosted Professor Elżbieta Skąpska, DSc, PhD, from the Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management at the Białystok University of Technology (Poland) for a one-month research visit under the academic supervision of Professor Oksana Makovoz.
Professor Skąpska holds a habilitation degree in social sciences with a focus on economics and finance. Her core research areas include the service economy, entrepreneurship, and innovation, with a particular emphasis on the development of intellectual entrepreneurship in modern organizations.
A highlight of the research stay was the guest lecture “The Concept of Intellectual Entrepreneurship,” which was held on July 9, 2026, at the IHI Zittau. During the lecture, Professor Skąpska presented the theoretical foundations of intellectual entrepreneurship and shared the preliminary results of a pilot study conducted among Polish respondents. The lecture sparked a lively discussion about the role of entrepreneurially minded intellectuals in promoting innovation, knowledge transfer, and sustainable organizational development.
Participants included Professor Thorsten Claus, Director of the IHI Zittau, Dr. Simon Eichentopf, as well as researchers, doctoral students, and students. The audience was invited to participate in an international comparative research project that examines the conditions that foster intellectual entrepreneurship in various organizational and cultural contexts.
Oliver Tettenborn, Referent des Direktors des IHI Zittau, führte Prof. Skąpska durch das IHI Zittau und erklärte ihr die Besonderheiten des Instituts.
The research project, jointly conducted by Professor Elżbieta Skąpska and Professor Oksana Makovoz, examines how organizational characteristics—including company size, the service sector, and the degree of internationalization —influence the environment in which entrepreneurially minded intellectuals thrive and create value. As part of the project, scholars, entrepreneurs, executives, and other professionals are participating in an international survey that will provide empirical evidence for a comparative analysis. The two researchers cordially invite colleagues from academia, business, and industry—and, of course, all members of the IHI Zittau—to contribute by participating in the survey. Your experiences and insights will help us better understand the factors that foster intellectual entrepreneurship and innovation in today’s knowledge-based economy.
Throughout her stay at IHI Zittau, Professor Elżbieta Skąpska participated in academic consultations, conducted a comprehensive literature review, and familiarized herself with the university’s research infrastructure, organizational structure, degree programs, and opportunities for future academic collaboration. The internship also provided an excellent platform for exchanging experiences and discussing new perspectives for joint research and teaching between the TUD Dresden University of Technology and the Technical University of Białystok.
The research internship contributes to the internationalization strategy of the International University Institute Zittau. The insights and experiences gained during the stay will support the further development of Professor Elżbieta Skąpska’s research activities and contribute to the improvement of degree programs at the Białystok University of Technology through the integration of international research findings, innovative teaching approaches, and best academic practices.