We had the pleasure of welcoming Matthias Schulz, Head of Strategy at Otto Krahn Group and an expert in digital business models, as a guest speaker in our Innovation Marketing master’s course.
His talk provided an insightful look into how a 116-year-old family-owned company continues to drive innovation across both established and emerging industries. Matthias gave an overview of Otto Krahn’s diverse business structure, which includes units ranging from plastics and chemicals distribution to ceramics and recycling.
A central focus was the company’s multi-layered innovation approach: from close technical collaboration with customers (e.g., labs and customization projects) to portfolio development and supplier-driven innovation.
Matthias also highlighted how the group promotes long-term innovation with Otto Krahn New Business (OKNB), a dedicated incubator for startups and new business models in new material technologies.
OKNB pushes emerging technologies into the wider group, empowering internal experts to act as "champions" who help identify, shape, and implement promising ideas. Students engaged in a lively discussion on how Otto Krahn Group combines its strategic foresight, internal expertise, and structured scouting to drive innovation across its operations.
We thank Matthias for the inspiring discussion and look forward to continued exchange with Otto Krahn Group in the future.
