Philipp Trotter is professor of Sustainability Management at the University of Wuppertal, and a Research Associate at the University of Oxford where he co-leads the economics & policy workstream of the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) programme. His research addresses energy and innovation for sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa, interconnecting the disciplines of engineering, geography, social science and management. He has published quantitative, qualitative and conceptual research in world-leading journals such as Nature, Nature Energy, Nature Sustainability and Research Policy. His work has informed concrete policy implementation by the governments of Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Zambia, Germany, the UK, the EU, as well as by African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Bank and IRENA. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Bath, an MSc in Politics of the Developing World from LSE, and a Diploma in energy engineering from RWTH Aachen.

Publications: 

A list of publications by Prof. Dr. Philipp Trotter can be found here.

Contact: trotter[at]wiwi.uni-wuppertal.de

Eileen Lara is an ambitious and highly self-motivated electrical engineer with great zeal for excellence in service delivery. In her years of work, she has gathered a wealth of experience in solar PV design and installation, energy auditing, energy policy and project management. She has been principal investigator on several research projects with partners across the globe and is also one of the few female Certified Energy Auditors (CEA) in Uganda.

On top of these skills Eileen is also a certified business trainer with the Work for Life program with which skill she uses to equip and mentor women, especially in business. She has since mentored several women in both business and energy skills in Uganda.  In 2019, Eileen was nominated to be the pioneer chair for the Women in Renewable Energy Association Uganda (WREAU) with which she won the best women renewable energy group award of the year and Micro Grid Academy (MGA) Young talent of the year award 2020.

For her PhD research, Eileen is looking at sustainable business model innovations in Sub Saharan Africa for increased rural electrification. The main research question in this research is what is Sub Saharan Africa missing to reach 100% electrification? I shall be taking a deep dive in the strengths and weaknesses of different models using a case study approach to ascertain their level of sustainability and gender integration. This research will also assess the impact of private sector led business models on economic development.

Publications

• Randle-Boggis, R. J., Lara, E., Onyango, J., Temu, E. J., & Hartley, S. E. (2021, June). Agrivoltaics in East Africa: opportunities and challenges. In AIP conference proceedings (Vol. 2361, No. 1, p. 090001). AIP Publishing LLC.

Contact: lara[at]wiwi.uni-wuppertal.de

Melin, a current PhD candidate, holds a bachelor's degree in Business Management and Economics from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany, and a master's degree in International Management from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands. During academic journey, she further broadened her global perspective through extensive international experiences in the USA, Peru, France, and the Czech Republic. These varied experiences have enriched her understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and economic systems, and have greatly shaped her academic and professional trajectory.

Transitioning from academia to industry, Melin honed her practical expertise as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. In this role, she consulted with domestic and international clients in the public sector and financial services. Furthermore, she was involved in firm initiatives aimed at fostering local startup ecosystems as well as generating insights from engagements with high-growth startups.

Currently, Melin’s PhD research focuses on the exploration of entreprenurial ecosystems within low and lower-middle-income countries. Her research seeks to explore how these ecosystems operate, what challenges they face, and how they can be optimized to promote economic growth, social and sustainable development, underscoring her commitment to fostering global entrepreneurial progress and economic equity.

Publications

• Foster, V., Trotter, P. A., Werner, S., Niedermayer, M., Mulugetta, Y., Achakulwisut, P., ... & Yang, P. (2024). Development transitions for fossil fuel-producing low and lower–middle income countries in a carbon-constrained world. Nature Energy, 9(3), 242-250.

Contact: niedermayer[at]wiwi.uni-wuppertal.de

Rosebella is a zealous researcher and development practitioner who advocates for the use of research-generated evidence to influence policy, foster inclusion and inform development. Her interests revolve around frugal innovation of products, services, technologies, and processes, business model innovation and sustainability, energy access and sustainability, social interactions in society, and the creation of conducive urban spaces specifically in informal settlements. 

She has garnered extensive experience in research, having worked as a Research Consultant for the following organizations/institutions; The Institute for Development studies at the University of Nairobi, Twaweza Communications, Radboud University, True North, and the International Centre for Frugal Innovation hosted by Nuvoni Center for Innovation Research on a number of multidisciplinary research and evaluation projects. The most recent projects she has been engaged in include Innovation Histories for Frugal products and services, Community, Urban Resilience and Sustainability, inclusivity, and governance of mini-grids in sub-Saharan Africa.  

She holds a master’s degree in development studies from the Institute for Development Studies, at the University of Nairobi. Currently, she is pursuing her doctoral studies at Bergische Universität Wuppertal, focusing on Business Model Sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa, where she seeks to interrogate the type of business models used by entrepreneurs in the energy, food, water, and health domains, I identify and examine innovation ecosystems favourable for the development of sustainable business models for entrepreneurs and examine business model innovation as a survival/resilience mechanism for frugal innovators.  

Publications

• Kausya, M. W., Nyumba, R., Onsongo, E. K., Kerr, D., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2025). Mini-Grid Sustainability Framework and its Application to Selected Mini-Grids in Kenya. Advances in Science and Technology, 160, 141-154.

• Fransen, J., Hati, B., van Stapele, N., Kiriro, S., & Nyumba, R. (2024). Resilience pathways of informal settlements in Nairobi: Stasis, decline, adaptation, and transformation. The European Journal of Development Research, 36(2), 355-380.

• Fransen, J., Hati, B., Nyumba, R., & van Tuijl, E. (2023). Community vitality and frugal practices in informal settlements in Nairobi: Towards a typology. Cities, 134, 104179.

Perspectives

• A homegrown Kenyan innovation in orthopaedics by Rosebella Nyumba.
  https://www.icfi.nl/news/a-homegrown-kenyan-innovation-in-orthopedics
• An Innovative way to break down waste into a useful resource by Rosebella Nyumba
  https://www.icfi.nl/news/an-innovative-way-to-break-down-waste-into-a-useful-resource

Contact: nyumba@wiwi.uni-wuppertal.de

Sven is a doctoral researcher at the chair of Sustainability Management at the University of Wuppertal. His research focuses on sustainable transitions in the global south with an emphasize on the role of start-ups. He holds master degrees in Economics with distinction of the Paris School of Economics and of the University of Mannheim. His studies have been supported by The German Academic Scholarship Foundation.

Previously, Sven has worked as research assistant at the Institute for Strategy, Technology and Organization at LMU Munich, at the chair for quantitative and environmental economics at University of Mannheim, at ZEW Leipniz Centre for European Economic Research and at University of Cardiff. Before rejoining academia as a PhD student, Sven has worked as consultant at McKinsey & Company advising international clients in the energy sector on strategy and sustainability.

In his free time, Sven enjoys engaging in cultural discourses with the Bronnbacher Alumni community and beyond as well as road cycling in the Bavarian Alps (preferably in the slipstream of the peloton). 

Publications:

Foster, V., Trotter, P., Werner, S., et al. Development transitions for fossil fuel-producing low and lower-middle income countries in a carbon-constrained world. Nat. Energy (2024) doi:10.1038/s41560-023-01440-3.

Kretschmer, T., Werner, S. Regulating Platforms as Utilities? A Business Model Perspective. CEPR Discuss. Pap. 16106 (2021) url: https://repec.cepr.org/repec/cpr/ceprdp/DP16106.pdf.

Contact: werner[at]wiwi.uni-wuppertal.de

Charlotte is a Master’s student in Sustainability Management at the University of Wuppertal, where she joined the Sustainability Management Chair in June 2025. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management from Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, with a multidisciplinary focus on environmental sciences, economics and policy.

She has a strong background in both academic research and applied sustainability work. During her bachelor's thesis in ecotoxicology, she focused on plant-based approaches to removing pesticides from soils and gained valuable research experience, particularly in laboratory studies and experimental analysis. As a student assistant at her previous university’s Sustainability Office, she helped integrate sustainability across campus life and developed educational programs such as workshops and podcasts. During her Master’s studies, she worked as a research assistant at the Wuppertal Institute in the Circular Economy division, focusing on physico-chemical recycling processes. Charlotte is also a certified Emissions Control Officer (Immissionsschutzbeauftragte nach § 53 BImSchG).

She is passionate about connecting environmental science and policy to create practical solutions for a more sustainable future. 

Contact: charlotte.kleid[at]uni-wuppertal.de

Lilian Schweigstill is studying towards a Master's degree in Sustainability Management at the University of Wuppertal. She began her studies here during the winter semester of 2023. Previously, she completed a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at the University of Trier, where she worked as a student assistant at the Chair of Corporate Management und Entrepreneurship. During a semester abroad at Trinity College Dublin, she expanded her global perspective and acquired international experience. 
Lilian has been a member of the team for the Chair of Sustainability Management since August 2024 and contributes to various research and academic topics.  
Further, she works as a research assistant at the UNESCO Chair of Entrepreneurship and Intercultural Management of Professor Christine Volkmann.

Contact: lilian.schweigstill[at]uni-wuppertal.de