Here you will find a selection of awards and prizes that recognise our achievements in research, teaching and thesis supervision, as well as information on past externally funded projects.
Awards of the chair
- 86th place in the WirtschaftsWoche Business Economists Ranking Research Performance 2020 - 2024 (Top 5%)
(Prof Dr Gregor Dorfleitner, 2024) - 92nd place in the WirtschaftsWoche business economist ranking for scientific life's work (top 5%)
(Prof. Dr Gregor Dorfleitner, 2024) - Innovative Thinking Award 2023 from the American Real Estate Society for "Kreppmeier, Julia/Laschinger, Ralf/Steininger, Bertram I./Dorfleitner, Gregor: Real estate security token offerings and the secondary market: Driven by crypto hype or fundamentals?" (Prof. Dr Gregor Dorfleitner, 2023)
- "Award for special achievements in teaching and supervision" (Dr Christian Kreuzer, 2022)
- "Prize for special achievements in teaching and supervision" (Dr Christian Sparrer, 2022)
- Christa Lindner Prize: "Empirical aspects of Green Bonds markets" (Master's thesis) (Jens Eckberg, 2022)
- "Prize for Good Teaching 2018" of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Real Estate at the University of Regensburg
(Prof Dr Gregor Dorfleitner, 2018) - 2. Postbank Finance Award 2016 to the University of Regensburg: "Megatrend Digitalisation. How information technologies and social media influence the business model of banks."
Supervising professor: Prof. Dr Gregor Dorfleitner; team members: Natalie Dietrich, Lukas Fischer, Carina Lung, Nico Stang, Philip Willmertinger - 2. Postbank Finance Award 2015 to the University of Regensburg: "Ways out of the interest rate dilemma - does investment have a future?"
Supervising professor: Prof. Dr Gregor Dorfleitner; team members: Michael Betzinger, Anna Christina Goerk, Katharina Käsbauer, Katrin Maria Schmid, Julia Weigert - 2. Postbank Finance Award 2014 to the University of Regensburg: "Banking 3.0 - between digitalisation and people."
Supervising professor: Prof. Dr Gregor Dorfleitner; team members: Ivan de Castro, Julia Kammler, Stephanie Schuster, Johannes Stoiber, Martina Weber
Awards for final theses
- Prize for the best bachelor's thesis from the Faculty of Business, Economics and Real Estate related to central banking at the Deutsche Bundesbank: "Generative AI in Finance - An Analysis" - Jonathan Hofbeck (2025)
- Christa Lindner Prize: "Which variables should be considered when choosing an ETF?" (bachelor's thesis) - Pia Frick (2025)
- Christa Lindner Prize: "The 2023 regional banking crisis through the lens of financial intermediation theory" (bachelor's thesis) - Nils Kreuzer (2025)
- Christa Lindner Prize: "Measuring greenwashing at company level" (bachelor's thesis) - Simon Waas (2025)
- Science Prize of the Bavarian Savings Banks - King Max I. Prize: "Digital and Sustainable Finance: New Drivers for Market Efficiency" (best dissertation) - Ralf Laschinger (2024)
- Christa Lindner Prize: "Empirical aspects of Green Bonds market" (Master's thesis) - Jens Eckberg (2022)
- Christa Lindner Prize: "Share buybacks and ESG controversies - An empirical analysis" (Master's thesis) - Lena Janker (2022)
- Christa Lindner Prize: "Forecasting and validation of ESG ratings using machine learning" (Master's thesis) - Christoph Rutha (2021)
- Christa Lindner Prize: "Sustainable Finance - An Empirical Analysis via Text Mining" (Master's thesis) - Valentin Schroll (2021)
Third-party funded projects
Under the leadership of Prof Dr. Gregor Dorfleitner, the chair has successfully acquired numerous third-party funded research projects. These projects have addressed key topics such as sustainable finance, greenwashing, digital finance, FinTech, and tokenization. Below you will find a selection of past third-party funded projects.
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Number of funded projects 10
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of which funded by the DFG 1
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Total funding volume EUR 555 Thousand
Analysis of the tokenisation of assets: International and German evidence
Project funding: Deutsche Bundesbank
Project duration: 04/2023 - 06/2024
Project Description:
The research project investigated the digital securitization of assets using blockchain technology. The focus was on so-called security tokens, their issuance processes, and the associated secondary markets. The aim was to build an international sample based on comprehensive data collection from both regulated and unregulated sources to better understand market mechanisms, success factors, and risks of tokenization. The analysis was intended to provide regulatory and practical recommendations for shaping efficient and secure capital markets.
Feasibility phase: Greenwashing scores
Project funding: Stiftung Mercator
Project duration: 01/2023 - 12/2023
(joint project with Prof Dr. Sebastian Utz, University of Augsburg)
Project Description:
In this project a solid methodological and empirical foundation was established for the development of an objective greenwashing indicator. Based on an analysis of 1,031 publicly listed European companies, potential greenwashing cases were identified, assessed, and systematically examined. Using advanced text analysis techniques, machine learning, and theoretical modeling, the team developed initial scoring models with strong predictive power. The successful proof of concept demonstrates that automated, data-driven greenwashing measurement is feasible—paving the way for the main project phase.
Analysis of the FinTech market in Germany
Project funding: Deutsche Bundesbank
Project duration: 10/2020 - 09/2022
Project Description:
The research project systematically investigated the structure, development, and activities of FinTech companies. Based on a comprehensive database of German FinTechs—including licensing status, business segments, and regulatory characteristics—a panel dataset was created and supplemented through regular text analyses of company websites. The aim was to gain insights into business models, transparency, risk factors, and regulatory challenges. The project thus contributed to improved market monitoring, consumer protection, and financial stability.