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Publications/Presentations

The research team regularly publishes in academic journals and edited collections. Furthermore, the team has produced studies for business associations and ministries. The transfer of skills and knowledge to companies, civil society, politics and university teaching takes place in lectures and workshops.

 

Selected scientific publications
  • Züfle, Simon & Carlowitz, Philipp von (2025). Strategies to overcome the liability of outsidership in geopolitical projects: The case of German firms in the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative in Africa. International Marketing Review. (forthcoming).
  • Züfle, Simon & Bickenbach, Frank (2025). From Myth to Reality: Making Sense of Innovation Hubs in Africa. Journal of African Business, http://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2025.2542018.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von & Züfle, Simon (2025). Third-party market cooperation and non-Chinese multinational enterprises’ participation in the Belt and Road Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa. Thunderbird International Business Review, http://doi.org/10.1002/tie.70003.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von & Züfle, Simon (2025). Das chinesische Afrika-Engagement – und die Folgen für die deutsche Wirtschaft und Politik. Wirtschaftsdienst, 105(6), 439-443, https://www.wirtschaftsdienst.eu/inhalt/jahr/2025/heft/6/beitrag/das-chinesische-afrika-engagement-und-die-folgen-fuer-die-deutsche-wirtschaft-und-politik.html.
  • Züfle, Simon & Carlowitz, Philipp von (2025): The geopolitics, government-business relations, and triangular cooperation of ‘Africa+1’ conferences, Globalizations, https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2025.2467518.
  • Züfle, Simon & Adu-Gyamfi, Richard (2025): How can international business-to-business partnerships in Africa contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals? AIB Insights, https://insights.aib.world/article/128570-how-can-international-business-to-business-partnerships-in-africa-contribute-to-achieving-the-sustainable-development-goals. 
  • Züfle, Simon; Carlowitz, Philipp von; Büechl, Jörg (2024): China in Africa: Companies as enablers and beneficiaries? An empirical evaluation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Business & Politics, 26(4), 573-597.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von & Züfle, Simon (Eds.) (2024). Business Success in Africa. Academic and Managerial Insights, Springer: Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70384-3. 
  • Züfle, Simon & Wunu, Phanuel (2024). Managing the Supply Chain in Africa: Managing the Supply Chain in Africa: The Role of Innovative Technologies in National and International Logistics, in: Carlowitz, Philipp von & Züfle, Simon (Eds.). Business Success in Africa: Academic and Managerial Insights. Springer: Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70384-3_20. 
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von & Züfle, Simon (2024). Key Takeaways and Learnings for Business Success in Africa, in: Ead. (Eds.): Business Success in Africa: Academic and Managerial Insights. Springer: Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70384-3_32.
  • Züfle, Simon & Carlowitz, Philipp von (2024). Introduction: Relevance of Doing Business in Africa, in: Ead. (Eds.): Business Success in Africa: Academic and Managerial Insights. Springer: Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70384-3_1.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von (2024). The Need for a Contextualized Business Model in African Markets, in: Carlowitz, Philipp von & Züfle, Simon (Hrsg.). Business Success in Africa: Academic and Managerial Insights. Springer: Cham, doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70384-3_2.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von (2024). Business Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Status and Developments, in: Carlowitz, Philipp von & Züfle, Simon (Hrsg.). Business Success in Africa: Academic and Managerial Insights. Springer: Cham, doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70384-3_4.
  • Kottoh, Michael, Adu-Gyamfi, Richard, Adzogenu Edem (2024). A Virtual Reality: Making a Case for a Common African Market e-Residency, in: Seth Gor & Francis Mangeni (Eds.), Accelerating the African Continental Free Trade Area into the Common Market. (forthcoming).
  • Züfle, S. (2023). The Political Economy of China's Belt and Road Initiatve in East Africa, Wiesbaden: Springer CS. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-658-41161-9.    
  • Züfle, S. (2023). From Silicon Valley to Silicon Savannah: Conceptualizing Tech Hubs in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1177/14657503231221921.
  • Züfle, S. (2023). Jumping on the bandwagon? Business potentials for local African and international SMEs through China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the infrastructure sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2(2): 107-117. 
  • Züfle, S. & Schneider, C .P. (2023). Technology Transfer through Business-to-Business Partnerships: Lessons from Sales Partnerships between German Manufacturers and African Distributors. IST-Africa 2023 Conference Proceedings, doi.org/10.23919/IST-Africa60249.2023.10187805. 
  • Wunu, P. & Züfle, S. (2023). Key Success Factors for Promoting Business to Business Collaboration between enterprises from Africa and the Global North. Proceedings of the International Conference: Universities, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa, 6-23, https://pub.h-brs.de/frontdoor/deliver/index/docId/7366/file/UEEDAfrica2022_6.pdf.
  • Züfle, S. & Schneider, C. P. (2023). Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals through business-to-business partnerships: Lessons from sales partnerships between German and African companies. African Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2(1): 51-80.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von (2023): Unternehmertum und Start-Ups in Afrika: Die Rolle im Afrikageschäft deutscher Unternehmen, in: Schmidt, Thomas/Pfaffenberger, Kay/Liebing, Stefan (Hrsg.): Praxishandbuch Wirtschaft in Afrika, 2. Aufl., Springer Verlag: Heidelberg, S. 33-51.
  • Adu-Gyamfi, R. (2022). Editorial Commentary: A Perspective of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Africa. African Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Vol. 1 No. 1 June, pp. 5-11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31920/2753-314X/2022/v1n1a0
  • Adu-Gyamfi, R., Kuada, J., Asongu, S., A (2022) An Integrative Framework for Formal and Informal Entrepreneurship Research in Africa. Journal of African Business. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2022.2042102
  • Dohse, Dirk/Fehrenbacher, Sophia/Carlowitz, Philipp von (2022) Potenziale entwickeln und Wissen teilen: deutsche Unternehmen in Afrika, in: Wirtschaftsdienst 102 (7), S. 1-5.
  • Züfle, Simon (2022): Die Seidenstraßeninitiative in Ostafrika: Auf dem Weg zu einer Hegemonie Chinas? Springer VS: Wiesbaden.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von (2020): Success in the Bottom of the Pyramid Market in Africa. The Case of Multinational Pharmaceutical Companies, Springer: Cham.
  • Adu-Gyamfi, R., S.A. Asongu, T.Sonto Mmusi, H. Wamalwa and M. Mangori (2020). ‘A Comparative Study Of Export Processing Zones In The Wake Of The Sustainable Development Goals: The Cases Of Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, And Zimbabwe’. WIDER Working Paper 2020/64. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER. https://doi.org/10.35188/UNU-WIDER/2020/821-4
  • Nandonde, F.Adamu, R. Adu-Gyamfi, T.S. Mmusi, H. Wamalwa, S.A. Asongu, J.Pieter Opperman and J.R. Makindara (2019). ‘Linkages And Spillover Effects Of South African Foreign Direct Investment In Botswana And Kenya’. WIDER Working Paper 2019/53. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER. https://doi.org/10.35188/UNU-WIDER/2019/687-6
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von (2017): Doing Business in Subsahara Afrika, in: Bleuel, Hans-H. (Hrsg.): International Management – Grundlagen, Umfeld und Entscheidungen, Kohlhammer: Stuttgart, S. 151-160.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von (2017): Unternehmertum in Afrika, in: Schmidt, Thomas/Pfaffenberger, Kay/Liebing, Stefan (Hrsg.): Praxishandbuch Wirtschaft in Afrika, Springer Verlag: Heidelberg, S. 15-30.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von/Röndigs, Alexander (2016): Distribution in Westafrika, Springer-Gabler Verlag: Wiesbaden.
  • Cuero Acosta, Y.A., Adu-Gyamfi, R., Nabi, M.N.U., & Dornberger, U. (2017). Analysing the Role of Framework Conditions Influencing International Entrepreneurial Opportunity Identification Process. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 5(3), 9-29. http://doi.org/10.15678/EBER.2017.050301
Selected studies
Selected Presentations

2025

  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Keynote on business issues faced by Bavarian companies in Africa, Subsahara Africa Lunch hosted by IHK (Chamber of Commerce) for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Munich, 21.07.2025.
  • Züfle, Simon: Effective entrepreneurial ecosystems in weak institutional environments: A network-based perspective on start-up promoting activities of innovation hubs in Africa, British Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Leicester, 21.05.2025.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Doing Business in Africa: Key trends, challenges, and business approaches, Presentation at Alfred Kärcher GmbH, Winnenden, 28.01.2025.

2024

  • Adu-Gyamfi, Richard/Züfle, Simon: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: How can international business-to-business partnerships in Africa contribute? Paper Development Workshop of AIB Insights, Nairobi, 28./29.05.2024.
  • Züfle, Simon/Bickenbach, Frank: From Myth to Reality: Making Sense of Innovation Hubs in Africa. Research Workshop Doing Business in Africa, ESB Business School, Reutlingen, 23.04.2024.
  • Züfle, Simon: China in Africa: What it means for companies, Konferenz Doing Business in Africa – Business Meets Science, IHK Reutlingen, 22.04.2024.
  • Züfle, Simon/Carlowitz, Philipp von: Overcoming the liability of outsidership in geopolitical initiatives: Lessons from strategies of German companies in the Belt and Road Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa. Paper Presentation at the UK and Ireland Chapter Conference of the Academy of International Business, Birmingham, 05.04.2024.
  • Züfle, Simon/Carlowitz, Philipp von: A new scramble for Africa? The geopolitics, government-business relations and triangular cooperation of ‘Africa+1’ conferences. Paper Presentation at the Early Career Consortium of the European Academy of Management, Barcelona, 12.03.2024.

2023

  • Züfle, Simon: Against the dominant Chinese dragon?! A network perspective towards a nuanced view on China’s business presence in Sub-Saharan Africa and business potentials for non-Chinese MNEs. Paper Presentation at the Conference of the European International Business Association (EIBA), Lisbon, December 2023
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Doing Business in Africa and the business environment, Conference Business meets Africa – Continent of Opportunities Africa: How can the European private sector stay in the Game?, IHK (Chamber of Commerce) Chemnitz, 4.12.2023.
  • Adu-Gyamfi, Richard & Carlowitz, Philipp von: Understanding Sub-Saharan African SMEs’ export in the agribusiness sector: A resource-based view. Paper presentation at the MIASA Policy Conference “Accelerating Africa’s economic transformation towards shared prosperity and sustainability, Accra, November 2023.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Role of Business in Chinas Africa Engagement, Guest lecture at University of Tübingen, 17.11.2023.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Panel discussion on German development cooperation and the private sector as a partner in light of global competition, at the annual meeting of GIZ and Business Scouts on “The new cooperation with the private Sector”, Chamber of Commerce Koblenz, 14.11.2023.
  • Züfle, Simon & Schneider, Christian: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through business-to-business partnerships: The case of sales partnerships between German manufacturers and African distributors. Paper Presentation at the Conference “Universities, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development”, Cape Coast, November 2023.
  • Züfle, Simon: Advancing Research on Innovation in Sub-Saharan African Tech Hubs, Paper Presentation at the In and Out of Africa Conference, Baltimore, November 2023.
  • Züfle, Simon: Successful market entry in emerging markets: Lessons from sales partnerships between German manufacturers and African distributors. Paper Presentation at the Paper Development Workshop of the Global Strategy Journal, Copenhagen, October 2023.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Presentation and panel discussion of research and doing business in Africa topics, Aussenwirtschaftstag, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany, Berlin, 13.10.2023.
  • Züfle, Simon: China in Africa: What it means for companies. Paper Presentation at the conference „Shaping Africa’s Future: Geopolitics. Business. Sustainability“, Berlin, September 2023.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Setting the Scene – Business Conditions in Africa; Keynote at Regionalforum Afrika, IHK (Chamber of Commerce) Reutlingen, 26.9.2023.
  • Adu-Gyamfi, Richard: Market Entry Strategies for Small Businesses.  Presentation for the Ye! Boost Accelerator, International Trade Centre, Geneva, 13.4.2023.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Unternehmensperspektive auf Afrika; Vortrag beim AK Afrika, Handelskammer Hamburg, Hamburg, 31.3.2023.

2022

  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Chinas großer Appetit in Afrika - Was bedeutet das für deutsche Unternehmen, Keynote beim 3. Africa Summit im Rahmen der Global Connect, Stuttgart, 15.11.2022.
  • Züfle, Simon: Jumping on the Bandwagon. Business implications of China’s activities in Africa, Vortrag in Kooperation mit Gauff Engineering, Kampala, 04.10.2022.
  • Züfle, Simon: Selected topics of Doing Business in Africa, Vortrag im Rahmen einer GIZ-organisierten Delegationsreise mit Wirtschaftsvertretern und Politikern aus Kamerun, Reutlingen, 14.09.2022.
  • Züfle, Simon: Key Success Factors for Promoting Business-to-Business Partnerships between enterprises from Africa and the Global North, 10th Annual Conference: Universities, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa, St. Augustin, 09.09.2022.
  • Züfle, Simon: “Before FDI”: Sales partnerships between German manufacturers and local distributors in sub-Saharan Africa, PEGNet Conference 2022, Kampala (virtual presentation), 02.09.2022.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Chinas Subsahara-Afrika-Engagement. Chancen und Herausforderungen für die bayerische Wirtschaft, Vortrag anlässlich der Veröffentlichung einer vbw-Studie, München, 14.07.2022.
  • Züfle, Simon: China in Afrika – Zwischen Nichteinmischung und neuer Verantwortung, Gastvortrag an der Universität Tübingen, 05.07.2022.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Is China Eating Us Alive? Business Implications of China’s Activities in Africa, Vortrag an der AHK Ghana, Accra, 16.06.2022.
  • Züfle, Simon: Jumping on the bandwagon? The role of business and third market cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa, Paper-Präsentation beim Workshop Development and Doing Business in Africa, University of Ghana, 14.06.2022.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Business global neu denken – Am Beispiel Subsahara-Afrikas, Keynote auf der corporAID Konferenz, Wien, 02.06.2022.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Doing Business in Africa, Gastvorlesung an der Universität Tübingen, 21.01.2022.

2021

  • Züfle, Simon: Business in Africa, Schwerpunkt: Chinas Engagement in Afrika und Implikationen für Europa, Vortrag an der Hochschule Flensburg, 15.10.2021.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Doing Business in Africa, Gastvortrag an der Universität Tübingen, 06.02.2021.

2020

  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Digitalisierung in Zukunftsmärkten Subsahara-Afrikas & Politische Handlungsempfehlungen aus drei Studien, Vortrag im Bundeskanzleramt, Afrika Task Force, Wien, 22.10.2020.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Marktchancen der Digitalisierung in Zukunftsmärkten Subsahara Afrikas, Impulsvortrag beim Virtuellen CEO Round Table, Bundesministerium Digitalisierung und Wirtschaftsstandort Österreich, Wien, 29.06.2020.

2019

  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Schüsselmärkte und Markteintrittsstrategien in Subsahara-Afrika, Präsentation beim Afrikatag, Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, Wien, 06.11.2019.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Business Models for Africa, Vortrag bei dem Kenyan-German Expert Meeting, Nairobi, 29.10.2019.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Potentiale in Subsahara Afrika nutzen, Vortrag im Bundeskanzleramt Österreich, Afrika Task-Force, Wien, 24.09.2019.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Trends und Innovationen im Afrikageschäft, Exporttag 2019 der Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, African Innovation Challenge, Wien, 25.06.2019.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Marktchancen und -risiken in Subsahara Afrika, Impulsvortrag Außenwirtschaftsbeirat der Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, Wien, 25.06.2019.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Geschäftsmodelle der österreichischen Wirtschaft in den priorisierten Ländern Subsahara-Afrikas, Vortrag im Bundeskanzleramt Österreich, Wien, 16.06.2019.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Chancen in Subsahara Afrika nutzen, Vortrag bei der Beiratssitzung von Baden-Württemberg International, Stuttgart, 15.03.2019.
  • Carlowitz, Philipp von: Bedeutung von Trends für die Geschäftsbedingungen in Subsahara-Afrika, Vortrag beim Botschafter Dialog Ostafrika der IHK Hannover, 15.01.2019.