Research Without Borders

Source: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/school-business-and-economics/research Parent: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/

As part of Maastricht University, the European University of the Netherlands, the School of Business and Economics' mission is to contribute to a better world by addressing societal problems, co-creating knowledge, and developing team players and leaders for the future.

Academic research plays a vital role in achieving this mission, which is why SBE’s research is built on the following three core values:

1. We combine fundamental and applied research to advance scientific knowledge and practice.
2. We carry out transdisciplinary research to address complex societal problems.
3. We conduct research that is internationally oriented with a solid base in the region.

Accordingly, our mission statement for research is as follows: SBE’s research mission is to produce both fundamental and applied research, which is transdisciplinary and internationally oriented, in order to address complex societal problems and contribute to the global knowledge society.  You can find a more in-depth explanation of our core research values and more in the SBE Research Mission and Values document.

Fast facts

• 875 Academics
• 77 Professors
• 13 Departments
• 13 Institutes

SBE's Research Mission and Values document is based on consultation with members of our research community, the School’s leadership, and the School Board. The document outlines in-depth: SBE's vision on research, mission statement, core research values, strengths, and areas of expertise. It is a living document that will expand and grow as time goes on.

[Click here to view SBE's Research

Mission and Values](https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/file/sbe-research-mission-and-valuespdf "https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/file/sbe-research-mission-and-valuespdf")

Strengths and Areas of Expertise

SBE’s expertise covers a broad range within the fields of business and economics with several strength areas across different academic disciplines. These include the following:

• Digital innovation, including service and social robots, data analytics and digitalisation
• Education and labour market research
• Entrepreneurship and innovation
• Economics, including macro, micro, behavioural and quantitative
• Governance and public policy
• Leadership and service management
• Sustainability, including sustainable development, circular economics, sustainable finance, responsible business

Departments

• Accounting and Information Management
• Data Analytics and Digitalisation
• Educational Research and Development
• Finance
• Macro, International and Labour Economics
• Marketing and Supply Chain Management
• Micro and Public Economics
• Organisation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship
• Quantitative Economics

The SBE Graduate School

The SBE Graduate School offers four specialised PhD programmes:

• PhD in Economics and Business
• PhD in Innovation, Economics, Governance and Sustainable Development
• PhD in Sustainability Science
• Executive PhD in Private Sector Development

Find out more

Bringing Academia Closer to Society through our Institutes

As one of the main sources of research activity at SBE, our institutes are an important vehicle by which SBE brings knowledge into society. These institutes are primarily funded by external sources via contract research. Our institutes are:

• Brightlands Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (BISCI)
• Business Intelligence and Smart Services (BISS)
• Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• ECCE research network
• Institute for Societal Policy & Innovation Research (INSPIRE)
• Maastricht School of Management
• Maastricht Sustainability Institute (MSI)
• Maastricht Center for Robots
• MARC
• MU-CEN research institute
• Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market
• Service Science Factory (SSF)
• UNU-MERIT

Structured around academic disciplines and bound by the common goals of sharing knowledge and inspiring students, our institutes are at the gravitational centre of SBE's work in promoting excellence and quality.

News

Turning conservation into an investment: a student journey in Biodiversity Finance

Master’s students from SBE examined how conservation can attract investment, designing financial tools to fund African Parks’ biodiversity work. Presenting at BlackRock, they learned how nature‑based finance can benefit ecosystems, communities, and investors.

New Horizon Europe project supports circular innovation in the furniture sector

Maastricht University’s SBE joins CIRCOLINK, a Horizon Europe project promoting circular innovation in the furniture sector. Through pilot initiatives across six countries, the project will test and scale collaborative circular business models.

Strategy is Human: Edward Huizenga on leadership, decision-making and navigating change

Edward Huizenga argues most strategies fail not from weak ideas but from ignored human behaviour. Clear decision ownership, embedded purpose and mindset change are essential to turning plans into real performance.

School of Business and Economics students recognised as Finalists in REmagine Awards 2025

On 2 December, the REmagine Awards 2025 were presented, celebrating outstanding master’s theses in Economics and Business Administration that combine academic excellence with societal impact. Two stuedents from the School of Business and Economics (SBE) reached the final stage.

FieldLAB: measuring stress where it actually happens

This blog article draws on four years of research within the FieldLAB project, conducted at Maastricht University in close collaboration with international partners, such as the ACDC Lab in Houston. The goal was straightforward but ambitious: to understand how stress unfolds outside the laboratory.