Inside the research

Journal of Information Technology · 2026
First page of the Journal of Information Technology article by Daniel Heinz and Christoph F. Breidbach

Legacy systems as a foundation for renewal.

Legacy systems provide data and operational stability that firms can build on. Our theory explains how reconfiguring this installed base enables digital renewal while sustaining day-to-day operations.

Explore the idea

Paper preview: © Association for Information Technology Trust 2026 · CC BY 4.0

News

Coming up: Pandora Dietle will join the lab in November. About the lab

Coming up: our new course Building Digital Services with AI kicks off this October. Students will develop their own web apps with AI coding tools. About the course

I began co-leading the Conferences Division of Die WI e.V. with Julia Seitz Sänger. Association divisions

Visiting Fellow Grant from the University of Jyväskylä for a research stay in spring 2027.

Our paper in the Journal of Information Technology explains how firms can reconfigure legacy systems to support digital renewal. Explore the idea

Our Information & Management paper maps how B2B smart services combine technical capabilities with service outcomes and users. Explore the idea

More newsLess news

I took part in the Junior Faculty Consortium at ECIS 2026 in Milan. About the consortium

Best Paper Runner-up at DESRIST 2026 for our work on AI-based coaching for founders. Explore the idea

I was appointed Chair for Workshops, Tutorials & Community Events at WI 2027 in Karlsruhe. Organizing committee

I became President of AIS SIG Services, the community for research on services and information systems. AIS SIG Services

I completed my doctorate at KIT on smart service innovation in incumbent firms. Dissertation record

Our paper “Actor-Value Constellations in Circular Ecosystems” received the Second Runner-up Best Full Paper Award at WI 2025. Read the paper

Ida Meier joined the lab as a research associate, focusing on how organizations adopt AI. Ida’s research

Our Electronic Markets paper introduces a framework for how people and AI work together in service ecosystems. Explore the idea

Our Business & Information Systems Engineering paper introduces a mechanism for estimating which data assets improve a prediction before buying them. Explore the idea

I initiated a workshop on digital sustainability and the circular economy at KIT with Linda Sagnier Eckert and Christoph Hoppe. Workshop recap

I completed Helmholtz’s InnoSuper program on bringing research into practice and supporting researchers in transfer projects. About the program

I joined the teaching team for Digital Services at HECTOR School, working with business professionals on digital service innovation. Executive education

Our Electronic Markets paper offers a taxonomy for comparing how organizations share data and what they aim to achieve. Explore the idea

Jonas Liebschner and Linda Sagnier Eckert joined the Digital Service Design & Innovation Lab as research associates. About the lab

I became head of the Digital Service Design & Innovation Lab at KIT. About the lab

I was a visiting researcher at the University of Cambridge, hosted by Veronica Martinez.

Our Electronic Markets paper compares business models built around connected car data. Read the paper

Our paper on digital service innovation for sustainable development was nominated for the Best Paper Award at WI 2023. Read the paper

I co-developed and began co-teaching Digital Services: Innovation & Business Models at KIT, combining recorded lectures with live case discussions. About the course

I began a research stay at The University of Queensland, working with Christoph F. Breidbach on smart service innovation.

I presented my doctoral research on smart service systems at the WI 2022 Doctoral Consortium. Doctoral research

Our paper on smart service systems was first runner-up for the Best Paper Award at WI 2022. Read the paper

Our Electronic Markets paper examines how different types of analytics-based services create value for customers. Read the paper

I began my doctoral research as a research associate in KIT’s Digital Service Innovation group, studying smart service innovation in incumbent firms. Research background

I completed my M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering & Management at KIT with distinction.

I began teaching exercise sessions for KIT’s master’s course Digital Services: Business Models and Transformation.

I joined KIT’s Digital Service Innovation group as a junior researcher.