About us

Mesopartner is a knowledge firm that specialises in economic development, competitiveness and innovation. 

Our strategic intent is to be globally acknowledged as an innovator in economic development practice. Combining theory, practice and reflection, we enable clients to explore options and support decision-making processes. We collaborate with strategic partners to create knowledge on contextually sound economic development.

We operate as adviser and service provider to development organisations (development agencies, ODA (Official Development Assistance) donors, development banks, NGOs, cluster networks and others), to decision makers in private and public sector and to consultants and consulting firms. Since 2003, the knowledge that we have shared, and the methodologies and tools that we have developed, have helped development organisations and stakeholders in many developing and transformation countries to conduct territorial and sectoral development in a more effective and efficient way.

Mesopartner offers the knowledge that local actors need to address the challenge of innovation and change in a systemic and complexity-sensitive way. We develop innovative tools based on local and regional economic development, cluster and value chain promotion, market systems development, strengthening of local innovation systems and related topics. We coach and equip practitioners, and conduct leading-edge learning events for practitioners. We facilitate development processes and give policy advice.

Christian Schoen

Christian has over 30 years experience in Local and Regional Economy Development, Value Chain Development and improving business enabling environment. He has been involved in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating economic development projects in Europe, Africa and Asia for various development organisations and donors. Christian has worked as intermittent team leader of different development programs in Vietnam and has built capacity of international and national consultants, national project staff and counterparts all over Southeast Asia during the last 16 years.

Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke

Dr. Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke is a process consultant and international expert in the field of international development cooperation. With more than 30 years of consulting experience, he is active in all phases of a project and program development and collaborates with various implementing organisations and development banks.

Frank Wältring

I was born in 1968 in Elte, a lovely village in West Germany located in the Region of Muensterland. I always wanted to understand the driving forces of economic and social development in different regions, and the creative factors and pitfalls behind them.

Annelien Cunningham

Annelien provides administrative, management, project and content support to Mesopartner. Her main tasks involve organising events such as the Mesopartner Summer Academy in Berlin, maintaining the website, managing the client database and customer communication. She is project co-ordinator for various projects.

Shawn Cunningham

Dr. Shawn Cunningham is a process consultant working in the field of innovation and competitiveness improvement of the private sector. He supports a range of institutions, leaders and advisors around on topics such as making decisions under conditions of uncertainty or complexity, strengthening organisations or conducting learning processes through ongoing search, discovery and adjustment.

Mesopartner Anniversary video

Mesopartner marked its 20th anniversary in 2023, having worked in economic development globally for two decades. Join us in celebrating by watching our anniversary video.