Between the lecture theatre and the boardroom: Mathias Andrade connects two worlds

An Ecuadorian in Ingolstadt: Mathias Andrade, 24, is studying "Entrepreneurship and Digital Business" at THI and is also responsible for the innovation division of a company. He combines technology with entrepreneurial spirit - and shows how to turn passion into a career.

From Quito to Ingolstadt: On the THI campus, Andrade builds bridges – between technology and management, between theory and practice (Photo: THI).

A boy on the edge of the Andes, captivated by speed: Mathias Andrade’s fascination with mobility began long before he could drive (Photo: private)

A little boy stands on the side of a dusty Andean road. The sun is blazing and the ground is vibrating as a rally car shoots past - with his father at the wheel. The boy blinks at the dust, fascinated by the speed, the sound and the power of the machine. Mathias Andrade says that this is when his enthusiasm for mobility began.

Born in Quito, Ecuador, Andrade attended the German-speaking Colegio Alemán de Quito and passed the German International Baccalaureate there. He took an early interest in business and technology - a combination that led him to Ingolstadt in 2020, in the centre of a region that stands for the automotive industry like no other in Germany.

At THI, he began a Bachelor's degree programme in "Business Administration with a focus on Digital Business and Automotive Management", followed later by a Master's degree in "Entrepreneurship and Digital Business". "I can combine theory and practice here," he says. "The professors have a lot of experience from industry - and you can apply what you've learnt directly."

He also lived this connection outside the lecture theatre: as a member of Schanzer Racing Electric e.V., he was active in the Cost Report. "That was an intensive, instructive time," he says. "You learn to take responsibility and turn technical ideas into real solutions."

Andrade gained practical experience at Amarante Consulting in Latin America, at BMW Bank in Munich, at Cognizant Mobility and at APP Auto Pflege Partner GmbH, a company with an annual turnover of over ten million euros. He started there as a working student and is now Chief Technology Officer (CTO) - responsible for IT, innovation and process development.

"For me, technology is not an end in itself," he says. "It helps to achieve goals more efficiently and sustainably - but it must always keep people in mind." Andrade is also thinking ahead from an entrepreneurial perspective: together with fellow students, he developed "Brightgate.eu", a digital matching tool that connects medium-sized entrepreneurs with suitable successors.

What drives him? "I want to build bridges - between technology and management, between research and practice. Innovation happens when you think beyond borders." And where does he see himself in ten years' time? Andrade smiles. "Probably somewhere between entrepreneurship and technology - definitely on the move."

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