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A Question of Skill

Do entrepreneurs have certain skills? A new study involving the TUM Campus Heilbronn delivers exciting results.

13.02.2026

Tobias Lenartz

If company owners have certain skills, they are more likely to be successful. This is the key finding of a study led by Miriam Bird, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise at the TUM Campus Heilbronn. The research team focused on two skills: matching skills — the ability to recognize valuable combinations of resources and develop a way to implement them — and governance skills — the ability to establish effective corporate governance in which one’s own interests harmonize with those of other stakeholders and management.

TUM

Prof. Dr. Miriam Bird conducts research on entrepreneurship and family enterprise. She is the director of the Global Center for Family Enterprise at the TUM Campus Heilbronn.

The Role of Expertise

The results show that both skills correlate positively with company growth in young companies, where standardized processes are yet to be developed. Governance and matching skills play a smaller role for established companies. Family businesses benefit significantly less from the governance skills of their bosses than other companies. One possible reason for this is that they often give preference to their own family members, even if they may not be an ideal fit for the job profile.

For her study, Miriam Bird, together with Dr. Jannis von Nitzsch from Heinrich Heine University and Ed Saiedi, Professor at BI Norwegian Business School, looked at more than 2,500 owner-managed German companies. The team analyzed the LinkedIn profiles of the entrepreneurs, looking for information on professional experience and key terms that indicate the relevant skills. Based on her research, Bird is now developing a digital skill check at the TUM Campus Heilbronn. The online tool, which can help people to assess their own skills, is due to be ready in spring 2026. Miriam Bird holds one of more than 40 professorships funded by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation at the Technical University of Munich.

About the TUM Campus Heilbronn

The TUM Campus Heilbronn is part of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), one of the leading entrepreneurial universities. It combines innovative research, talent development and social responsibility with entrepreneurial courage and works closely with the economically strong Heilbronn-Franken region, which is characterized by medium-sized as well as world-market-leading companies. With a focus on management as well as computation, information and technology, the TUM Campus Heilbronn promotes the specialists of tomorrow, enables knowledge transfer and develops innovations for the challenges of the digital age – regionally anchored, globally networked and with a view to the future.

The Dieter Schwarz Foundation initiated the establishment of the TUM Campus Heilbronn. It not only provides the infrastructure on the educational campus in Heilbronn but also supports professorships, research centers, and numerous initiatives, for example in the field of digital transformation.

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