Nyenrode Business University has appointed Dr. Ingrid Koning as Professor of Commercial Law, effective 1 June 2026. The chair focuses on the legal dimension of business-to-business relationships, with particular attention to how contractual arrangements shape and influence day-to-day business practice. Koning is affiliated with the Nyenrode Center for Entrepreneurship, Governance & Stewardship.
A broad and interdisciplinary approach
The chair addresses legal issues that arise when companies collaborate within supply chains and other forms of business partnerships. Its hallmark is a broad, interdisciplinary approach. Legal questions are not examined in isolation, but in conjunction with topics such as strategy, supply chains, and entrepreneurship. The way organizations are structured and the choices they make directly influence how agreements are translated into legal arrangements—and vice versa. This closely aligns with Koning’s expertise in commercial private law, where she focuses on questions such as: How do businesses operate within (international) legal relationships? How can risks be managed effectively? And which legal structures are best suited to specific business contexts?
“With the Chair of Commercial Law, Nyenrode aims to strengthen both academic insights and the practical legal context of intercompany relationships,” says Prof. Dr. Ir. Henk Kievit, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Ecosystems and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, Governance & Stewardship. “This fits seamlessly with our mission to educate responsible leaders for a sustainable future.”
The interaction between law and business practice
The chair is of great importance to Nyenrode because many topics in both education and research have an underlying legal dimension. This dimension is closely connected to how organizations operate and interact with one another. The central question is therefore: how are relationships between businesses shaped through legal structures, and how do those structures subsequently influence organizational practice? This interaction plays a significant role in the design of supply chains, the way organizations collaborate, and how they respond to change, crises, and societal transitions.
In her research, Koning focuses on trade, transport, and logistics chains, with particular attention to sustainability. She examines, for example, the role that law can play in supporting the transition to more sustainable logistics chains.
Prof. Dr. Michael Erkens, Rector Magnificus of Nyenrode Business University, says: “The strongest legal knowledge does not emerge in isolation, but in connection with strategy, supply chains, and entrepreneurship. That is precisely what Ingrid Koning embodies. Her work on the role of law in making logistics chains more sustainable directly addresses the challenges businesses face today and strengthens Nyenrode’s position as a place where law and practice come together.”