Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISIHead of Innovative Regions Unit
Dr. Benjamin Klement has been working for Fraunhofer since February 2018, initially for the Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW in Leipzig. Since July 2023, he has been heading the Innovative Regions Unit, which has been part of Fraunhofer ISI in Leipzig since January 1, 2025. Previously, he was deputy head of the Innovation Policy and Transfer Design group. As part of his work in this position, he leads projects, particularly in the data-driven analysis of regional innovation systems in transformation processes. His research is used in the political design of structural change processes, identification of future relevant technology fields, regional and location analyses and the evaluation of innovation policy support measures.
He completed his PhD under Prof. Dr. Simone Strambach at Philipps-Universität Marburg in the field of economic geography. In his dissertation on "Cumulative and Combinatorial Knowledge Dynamics: Their Role for Continuity and Change in Regional Path Development" , he analyzed to what extent and precisely how the specialization and combination of regional knowledge bases promote the adaptation of regional economies to technical and social changes. He designed the AIR model for the operationalization of regional innovation systems and developed resonance indicators for the measurement and analysis of innovations in the creative industries. His doctorate built on his studies in geography at the Philipps University of Marburg, which he completed with a diploma in 2011.