Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - School of Business and Economics

InterVal

Internet and Value Chains, Berlin's Research Center for Internet Economics



The Berlin research consortium "InterVal - Internet and Value Chains" was selected by the Ministry for Education and Resesarch (BMBF) in 2003 as one of seven national research centers in the area of internet economics. InterVal is sponsored from mid 2003 till the end of 2007 for a total of ?4 million roughly. The new research center is interdisciplinary and has amongst it computer scientists, economists and information system specialists of all three of the Berlin universities and the Fraunhofer-Institut for Software and System Technology (ISST). The consortium is led by the Institute of Information Systems (Spokesperson: Prof. Oliver Günther)

The purpose of InterVal is to analyze and further the development of internet technologies in the context of modern value chains. New technologies like XML, web services and semantic networks have permanently changed the classical value added processes for modern economies. This applies to applications in industry, production of software and the service sector. InterVal should analyze these changes by using concrete case studies. Herein, considerations on the profitability of investments in IT and communication technologies play an important role. The business approach regarding the investment analysis and evaluation of management techniques should also utilize applications like macroeconomic calculus to measure the influence of IT investments on total productivity and on the job market of an economy.

Another prioritized area of research refers to data security and data protection. Web services as a matter of fact raise security problems due to the inter-organizational scope. Ultimately questions regarding information logistics and knowledge management will play an important role in InterVal. Complex value chains are dependent on the fact that information is available at the right time and place. How can economic incentives be designed so as to motivate potential information suppliers to deliver their information in a timely manner?

The research results from InterVal will constantly serve as input data in various communication platforms. In order to further this effort, learning management systems are used to promote knowledge transfers among academia, business, and public management.

Participating Institutions

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

  • Fraunhofer Institute for Software and System Technologies, Prof. Dr. Herbert Weber, www.isst.fhg.de

Freie Universitaet Berlin

  • Institute of Computer Science, Prof. Dr. Robert Tolksdorf, www.inf.fu-berlin.de/inst/ag-nbi/
  • Department of Production, Information Systems and OR, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prof. Dr. Uwe H. Suhl, www.wiwiss.fu-berlin.de/suhl

Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin

  • Institute of Industrial Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prof. Lars-Hendrik Röller. Ph.D., www.wz.berlin.de/mp/wiw/peo/roeller.de.htm
  • Institute of Information Systems, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prof. Oliver Günther, Ph.D., www.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/iwi
  • Institute of Macroeconomics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Prof. Michael Burda, Ph.D., www.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/wt2
  • Databases and Information Systems, Institute of Computer Science, Prof. Johann Christoph Freytag, Ph.D., www.dbis.informatik.hu-berlin.de
  • Computer Architecture and Communication, Institute of Computer Science, Prof. Dr. Miroslaw Malek, www.informatik.hu-berlin.de/~rok

Technische Universitaet Berlin

  • Department of Technology and Management, Logistic Area, Faculty of Economics and Management VIII, Prof. Dr. Helmut Baumgarten, www.logistik.tu-berlin.de

Contact

Dr. Sarah Spiekermann (Geschäftsführerin)
InterVal - Internet and Value Chains
Berliner Forschungszentrum Internetökonomie
Telefon: (030) 2093 5662
sspiek@wiwi.hu-berlin.de
http://interval.hu-berlin.de