DURHAM, N.H. -- The Rosenberg International Center of Franchising at the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics has entered into a research collaboration with the University of Münster. The goal of this partnership is to conduct research in the area of franchise expansion into the European region.

“The new collaboration with the University of Münster will support the Rosenberg Center’s research in the area of risk and opportunity assessment in international franchising for U.S.-based franchisors. Our franchise center undertook this research in direct response from business leaders engaged in franchising who identified it as a topic of key concern in their ability to formulate viable entry and expansion strategies beyond the borders of the United States,” said Udo Schlentrich, director of the UNH Rosenberg International Center of Franchising.

The University of Münster is the third-largest university in Germany and is among the country’s leading research universities. With nearly 50,000 students and more than 130 fields of study, it is considered one of the foremost centers of German intellectual life. The Rosenberg Center will collaborate with the University of Münster’s research center, the Institute for Strategic Management, which is directed by Prof. Thomas Ehrmann.

“Our partnership with the University of New Hampshire provides an opportunity for us to conduct cooperative research into one of the most important world regions for franchise expansion. The countries of the European region represent a market of over 1 billion, three times as large as that of the United States. However, it is a market that is very diverse and presents not only great opportunities but also entails significant risks. By conducting research together, our institutions leverage our strengths and provide more valuable information to global franchisors, who are looking for the best practices on how to expand successfully,” Ehrmann said.

The William Rosenberg International Center of Franchising aims to explore and advance the understanding of franchising, which creates more than $2.3 trillion private sector annual output to the U.S. economy. There are presently over 909,000 franchised business establishments operating in the United States which create a total of 21 million jobs. The center offers a franchising class for business students at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics and is actively involved in the franchising community, both to gain information about current trends and challenges and to share insights and solutions. The center interacts with industry experts and the International Franchise Association (IFA) to produce timely and meaningful research reports and forecasts. The center maintains the Franchise 50 Index, an extensive financial database of publicly listed franchising corporations. For more information, visit wsbe.unh.edu/william-rosenberg-center-international-franchising.
The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.
 
PHOTO
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From left: Thomas Ehrmann, director of the Institute for Strategic Management at the University of Münster, and Udo Schlentrich, director of the Rosenberg International Center of Franchising at the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics.

Credit: Perry Smith, UNH Photographic Services

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