Prof. Dr. Christian Schäfer has held the professorship for Business Administration, specializing in Management in Life Sciences, at the School of Business at Mainz University of Applied Sciences since February. Here, he sees an opportunity to actively shape the dynamic development of the life science industry in Rhineland-Palatinate. His goal is to provide business administration students with practical knowledge and specific skills for the biopharmaceutical market. “I am delighted that Mainz University of Applied Sciences is the first institution in the region to offer a program focusing on specific business management issues in the life sciences,” he emphasizes—a decisive step toward training skilled professionals with management skills for the biopharmaceutical industry.
His research focuses on key issues in the biopharmaceutical industry: What factors motivate chronic patients to switch medications? What influence does the reputation of biopharmaceutical companies have on patient loyalty? Which marketing mix ensures the highest ROI, which methods provide reliable sales forecasts for innovative biopharmaceutical products, and how are pipeline projects evaluated financially?
Christian Schäfer addresses these topics with analytical precision and application-oriented research. His work focuses on teaching and collaborative projects with companies and other stakeholders in biopharmaceutical markets who strive to make data-based decisions with a high degree of precision and accuracy. As an expert in patient behavior models, biopharmaceutical marketing mix analyses, strategic product forecasts, uncertainty quantification, and the evaluation of pipeline assets, he is in high demand in the biopharmaceutical industry. Renowned publications and practical projects attest to his scientific expertise.
The Special Feature: Strategic Forecasting in Biopharma Q1-2025 he initiated in his role as Editor Life Sciences of the International Journal of Applied Forecasting was recently published.
Starting in the 2025/2026 winter semester, he will offer the first specific course in the business administration bachelor’s degree programs with the module “Comprehensive Management of Biopharmaceutical Innovations and Strategies.”
From 2016 to 2025, Schäfer initiated and led the Certificate in Strategic Forecasting Practice in Life Sciences at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in cooperation with the International Institute of Forecasters (IIF). The in total 179 graduates are impressive proof of the high demand for this practical additional qualification in biopharmaceutical management.
Christian Schäfer studied business administration at the University of Gävle in Sweden and economics at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, where he received his doctorate in 2009. His professional career includes eight years in the pharmaceutical industry, working for Boehringer Ingelheim and Abbott, before being appointed Professor of General Business Administration with a focus on quantitative management at the DHBW in 2015.
