Dieter recently completed the Ph.D. program in the Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Toronto, studying under the supervision of Meric Gertler and Rick DiFrancesco. His doctoral research focuses on the evolutionary geography of knowledge formation, and in particular the spatial and sectoral dynamics of knowledge spillovers, i.e. externalities derived from the non-pecuniary exchange of knowledge, in the Canadian economy, over a time period of 25 years. The investigation of knowledge externalities is carried out at the metropolitan level by means of an advanced patent database that he has developed over the past years.
In addition, Dieter is also involved in several multidisciplinary and multi-collaborative research projects concerning the socio-spatial impact of innovation on regional prosperity such as the Innovation Systems Research Network’s City-Region Initiative. Currently he is editing a book together with Maryann Feldman (UNC) and Harald Bathelt (UofT) titled ‘Dynamic Geographies of Knowledge Creation and Innovation’; which will be published by Routledge in their Regions and Cities series in 2010.
Dieter and Kevin Stolarick are currently collaborating on a study that investigates Richard Florida’s ‘creative class’ hypothesis, and its impact, on economic growth in Germany over the past two decades. His future research efforts will be directed towards the evolutionary economic analysis of global ‘Mega-Regions’ with particular focus on the dynamic nature of network structures, in order to enhance our understanding of such novel concepts as the ‘local buzz’ and ‘global pipelines’ research framework, and the impact of specialization and diversity on regional economic prosperity.
Prior to his move to attend graduate school, Dieter gained professional experience in his role as an R&D engineer in the semiconductor industry at Datacon Technology in Austria, and as a regional economist with the IBI Group in Toronto, where he was involved in land-use and community needs studies, regional economic analysis assignments, and planning projects for a wide range of private and public sector clients in Canada and the U.S.
Dieter’s career path combines personal, education and research experience acquired in Europe, the United States, and Canada within a variety of areas pertaining to the spatial analysis of socio-economic phenomena. He holds a B.A. (Honours) in Urban-Economic Geography from Queen Mary, University of London, UK, through which he participated in an extended exchange program with UCLA. Over the past 5 years he completed the M.A. and Ph.D. programs (Geography & Planning) at the University of Toronto.