Centers and affiliated academic institutes

The Faculty of Business, Economics, and Management Information Systems has one of the widest varieties of research activities in the area of finance in Bavaria.

The Center of Finance was founded by all of the Institutes of the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Management Information Systems to bundle the research on financial issues and (international) financial markets, and to promote interdisciplinary approaches. The research activities are grouped into these four clusters: Risk management & derivatives, private finance, real estate & capital markets, and financial services & IT.

Go here for more information on the Center of Finance: >>>

Since 1993, ibi research an der Universität Regensburg has been doing custom-designed research and consulting in the area of custom-designed financial services with a focus on innovations.

On the basis of our core competencies, we concentrate on four business segments: Retail banking, e-commerce & payment transactions, business process & quality management, and governance, risk & compliance management.

The first two business areas address core processes in the private and corporate client segment. Governance, risk & compliance management addresses the back end with the management of value propositions. Business process & quality management links the three business segments with a process-oriented approach.

You can find more information on ibi research at www.ibi.de

The Institute of Central and Southeast European Studies (IOS) in Regensburg is a non-university research institution which was the result of a fusion between the Eastern Europe Institute and the Southeast Europe Institute on January 1, 2012.

The IOS is continuing the work of these two long-standing institutes in a new form. It stands out due to the bundling of expertise in the science of history and economics on the one hand, and by the observation of Eastern and Southeastern Europe on the other.

The IOS researches the economic and historical developments in Eastern and Southeastern Europe; it publishes specialist journals, book series, working papers, and seminal works, organizes academic events, and offers electronic specialist data bases and research portals.

You can find more information on the IOS at www.ios-regensburg.de

Concerning the associated topics of real estate and capital markets, research is to be carried out into the fundamental interdependence between the real estate and capital markets and their respective regulatory concepts. The concept envisions the analysis of individual market and regulatory elements from the standpoint of the respective subject in order to then observe each partial aspect in the focus of an interdisciplinary analysis.

From an economics perspective, it may concern the mechanisms of value added in real estate investments, and its effects on the economy as a whole. Here, what is significant is the problem of the design and functionality of financing and investment vehicles, and the forecast of investment risks and market developments. This also includes questions regarding the design of billing by banks, insurance companies, and real estate corporations, and the taxation of real estate products and financial products.

The questions concerning the regulatory concept for the financial and real estate markets, on the other hand, are of interest from a legal standpoint. In a narrower sense, this affects questions concerning the design of REIT or investment law, or legal aspects of the regulation of real estate and financial markets, for instance. In a more general observation, the effects of legal regulation on investment behavior and the conditions for safe investment are to be analyzed.

You can find more information on the research association “Real Estate and Capital Markets” at www.real-estate-finance.de

Changing user requirements, new legal stipulations, and changes in environmental conditions are increasingly influencing investment decisions, leasing decisions, and financial decisions in the international real estate market. Early sensitization to the necessity of an integral orientation toward sustainability has become essential for securing competitive advantages for all market actors. An interdisciplinary view of real estate and real estate companies is indispensable in order to accommodate the emerging demand for sustainability in all areas of the real estate industry.

The center of excellence for sustainability in the real estate industry takes up this theme, which is becoming increasingly significant, and examines the role of the real estate industry from an academic and practice-oriented viewpoint in the context of the social and climate change which is occurring. Here, understanding sustainability conforms to the principle of the Triple Bottom Line. We analyze possible approaches of ecological, economic, and sociocultural aspects of sustainability on both the property and corporate level, and discuss their practical relevance. Here, it is particularly the influence and significance of the different rating and reporting systems that are studied scientifically.

Research topics
3-stage approach of the center of excellence

"Identify and understand": e.g. effects of climate change and the consumption of resources on the real estate industry, intergenerational challenges, sustainability due diligence

"Avoid and adapt": e.g. CSR/ESG/GRI for real estate companies, sustainability review, Life Cycle Costing

"Change and innovate": e.g. creation of sustainability benchmarking, standardization of testing standards (DGNB, LEED, BREEAM), further development of Green Leases

Educational objectives
In view of the very recent nature of this scientific field, the aim of the interdisciplinary courses is to put students in a position to develop creative problem-solving methods for the real estate industry. It is very important for the entire sector for future decision-makers to become sensitized early on in regard to sustainability, because dissolving the apparent tradeoff between ecology, the economy, and social justice contributes to achieving intergenerational fairness and to global climate protection.

For more information on the center of excellence for sustainability in the real estate industry, Prof. Dr. Sven Bienert MRICS: >>>

The academic and executive director of the IREBS Real Estate Business School is the renowned real estate expert Prof. Dr. Tobias Just, who previously held a senior post in the industry and real estate market research department of the Deutsche Bank. Markus Amon, Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), is the managing director of the IREBS Real Estate Business School, and a member of the ZIA committee for education and research. Since 2003 he has been developing the degree courses offered by the Business School.

Increasingly, the next step up the career ladder always depends on the extent to which employees continue their education after finishing their degree or training. Along with the Real Estate Economics study program, the IREBS Real Estate Business School offers further intensive degree courses, specialized real estate seminars, and in-company training at various locations in Germany. To date, over 4,000 students have used our advanced training programs to further their careers: In the meantime, many of our graduates now hold senior management positions in successful companies.

You can find more information on the IREBS Real Estate Business School at www.irebs-immobilienakademie.de