Research
Research by the “Corporate Finance Research Group” crosses the traditional boundaries between disciplines, including banking, entrepreneurship, finance and management, to advance scientific knowledge that also enlightens practice. The main focus of the research group is on financing decisions in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) which, indeed, are inherently cross-disciplinary in nature. The “Corporate Finance Research Group” group conducts academic research intended at increasing our understanding of:
(a) How providers of entrepreneurial finance such as banks, venture capital investors, angel investors and crowdfunding investors make financing decisions (i.e., the supply side of the market),
(b) How entrepreneurs make financing decisions and how their financing policies evolve over time (i.e., the demand side of the market), and
(c) How financing decisions and access to financing influence firm performance and growth.
The research group focuses on SMEs with a potential for high impact on society, often innovative and/or high technology firms (“entrepreneurial finance”), although we also study the financing of more traditional SMEs.
Our mission
Our goal is to create cross-disciplinary knowledge on SME financing and its real effects that is at the forefront of academic research and is relevant for the business community and society at large. We further want to develop Ph.D. students in this field, who are well-trained for positions in academia and the business community.
Our vision
We strive to become a centre of excellence for academic research on SME financing and its real effects with high academic impact recognized at the international level; with our multidisciplinary perspective we also want to impact the complex challenges the business community, entrepreneurs and public policy-makers are confronted with.