For students
For students
Being a student, you can get involved in our research group in various ways. For instance, we regularly organise inspiring and interactive events (scroll down to find out more about the upcoming events). Furthermore, during the study programme you will get involved in our research at various moments, for instance during the minor Embrace the Border. In addition, you can do your internship or graduation assignment in our team.
As an intern within our team, you will get the opportunity to participate proactively. You will be actively involved in getting to know the team and the organisation. In addition, working at CBBD brings you into contact with many great companies and business clubs in the cross-border region around Venlo. You will also have your own specific tasks and therefore your own responsibilities, for example in the field of event management and online marketing. Finally, you will also get enough time to work on your research project.
So, do you have an affinity with the Dutch-German borderland, do themes such as HRM, entrepreneurship and inter-organisational cooperation appeal to you and do you speak at least Dutch or German? Then take a look at the vacancies below. Each vacancy states which researcher you can address your application to.
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The financing ecosystem in agrifood in the Dutch-German border region
My name is Mechleen Abboud (student at FOntys Hogeschool).
The agrifood industry – agriculture in particular – is highly capital intensive. External financing becomes more and more important, as capital tie-up increases. Financing ecosystems can differ between regions, even more across national borders. In this project, the aim is to analyze the financing ecosystem in the Dutch-German border region Euregio Rhein-Maas-Nord.
Based on literature study, secondary data and own expert interviews – with interview partners from financing institutions and companies requesting financing – the financing process in the agrifood sector will be characterized and analyzed with regard to cross-border differences. The study shall provide advice to financing institutions, policymakers and companies in the agrifood industry and promote cross-border learning and cooperation. Results will be shared with the stakeholders in the region.
Contact: Mechleen Abboud, m.abboud@fontys.nl. -
Motivations of entrepreneurs in the Venlo region for(not) operating in the Venlo-NRW Rhein cross-border region
My name is Guus Beijers (student at Zuyd Hogeschool).
As part of my graduation internship at Cross-Border Business Development, I will research the motivations of entrepreneurs in the Venlo region for (not) operating in the Venlo-NRW Rhein cross-border region. I will make use of the Threshold of Indifference theory of Van Houtum as well as a survey. The goal of my research will be to get an understanding of the motivations and barriers that businesses have. With that information a communication plan can be set up that could help businesses navigate in operating in the cross-border area.
Contact: Guus Beijers, g.beijers@fontys.nl. -
Cross-border (im)mobility on the Dutch-German labour market
My name is Mel Grubben (student at FOntys Hogeschool).
During my graduation internship at CBBD, I will write my bachelor thesis about (im)mobility on the Dutch-German labour market. I will do this by looking at the staffing cycle and examining which push, pull, keep and repel factors influence the supply side of the labour market. A combination of desk research and primary research in the shape of interviews will provide input for my thesis. Based on this analysis, I will help design and think about a tool that the CBBD team can use to support job seekers in the future to better exploit opportunities on both sides of the border.
Contact: Mel Grubben, m.grubben@fontys.nl. -
Stepping over the Threshold: SMEs Crossing the Border in the Dutch-German Borderland
My name is Mark Hanraets (student at Radboud University).
In my research (graduation placement at CBBD), I examine how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) decide to engage across the Dutch-German border. My starting point is the fact that each business conducts cross-border business differently. Consequently, I zoom out and examine how each SME came to the same decision, namely the decision to go cross-border. I examine the factors that contributed to their decision and the consequential steps the entrepreneur undertook in order to realise the internationalization. Moreover, I explore how the entrepreneurs perceive the specific locational challenges and opportunities that business face in border regions. I will conduct interviews with cross-border SMEs in order to answer the research question. My research greatly contributes to the literature on SME internationalisation by applying a specific focus on SME in border regions and by emphasizing that borders are not merely barriers but also potentially provide opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Contact: Mark Hanraets, m.hanraets@fontys.nl.