Katharina Rock, M.Sc.

Research focus

Innovations in the agriculture and food sectors, particularly start-ups
Regional innovation systems
Sustainability-oriented transitions in agricultural and food systems
Sustainability-oriented governance

Current project

My doctoral dissertation, “Agri-Startups – Opportunities, Potentials and Risks for a Sustainability-oriented Transition of Agriculture in Germany”, examines the role of agribusiness startups and their innovations in sustainability-oriented transitions in the agriculture and food sector. Specifically, my dissertation focuses on the role of startups' spatial embeddedness in the emergence of their innovations and their integration into regional innovation systems. My work focuses on Lower Saxony and Berlin.

I conducted my doctoral research as part of a fellowship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Background

Since 11/2025: Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung, Research Associate

07/2024–12/2025: University of Vechta, Research Associate

05/2019–03/2022: German Parliament and consulting institutes, Consultant

10/2016–03/2019: Humboldt University Berlin, M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management

10/2012–05/2016: University of Potsdam, B.A. Political and Administrative Science