Siegen professor advises European Commission
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Friederike Welter has been appointed as a member of the European Commission's DG GROW Fellowship Program 2026. In the coming months, she will work with other renowned academics and top economists to advise the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs on analysis and policy development.
Friederike Welter is President of the Institute for SME Research (IfM) Bonn - she also holds a professorship for the management of small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship at the University of Siegen.
Background to the DG Fellowship Program
The DG Fellowship Program runs for four years until mid-2026 and includes annual evaluation cycles for new proposals. In addition, the list of members is continuously developed by appointing new advisors each year.
The members contribute expertise from a broad range of scientific and economic topics. These include industrial, trade and innovation policy as well as issues of market integration and mission-oriented policy-making.
The fellowship program also focuses on current and emerging topics, including strategic autonomy, supply chain issues, future-proofing skills, impact investing, alternative business models, targeted innovation and the industrial ecosystem approach.
