ERCIS Master Thesis Award

Out of all published ERCIS Master Theses throughout a year, one will be awarded with the ERCIS Master Thesis Award. Winners of this award are invited to the ECIS conference of the year to come, getting the opportunity to meet fellow network members during the ERCIS@ECIS reception.

2026 Award Winner

Joost Jan Elenbaas

Winner 2026

TU Eindhoven | Eindhoven | The Netherlands

Winner

Joost Jan Elenbaas, TU Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Title: Designing and Evaluating a Collaborative Business Model for Offshore Green Hydrogen Production Using Curtailed Wind Energy.

Runner-Ups

Oda Aga; Bjørnar Olsen-Hagen Sømme, University of Agder, Norway

Title: Colleague or Colonizer? The Weakest Link in Cybersecurity: A Postcolonial Critique

Burak Korkmazcan, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany

Title: Socio-technological challenges in the implementation of process mining in HR: A case study at a regional energy provider

Álvaro Jesús Bernal Caunedo, University of Seville, Spain

Title: STATUS DataBinder: Generalizing Mashups in Compliance Management Systems

Committee

Joao Carvalho, Anthony Simonofski, Khushbu Tilvawala, Marco Smacchia

Laudation for the ERCIS Master Thesis Award – Joost Jan Elenbaas

We are pleased to award Joost Jan Elenbaas the ERCIS Master Thesis Award for his exemplary work, “Designing and Evaluating a Collaborative Business Model for Offshore Green Hydrogen Production Using Curtailed Wind Energy.”

Through a rigorous Design‑Science Research approach, Joost Jan co‑created a Business Model for the environmental-friendly energy sector that deals with the information sharing and interchanging challenges brought up by the collaboration among the multiple stakeholders necessary to make the production of Offshore Green Hydrogen Using Curtailed Wind Energy viable. He then translated this Business Model into a System‑Dynamics Simulation, delivering a dynamic, policy‑sensitive evaluation that pinpoints the levers – subsidies, electricity‑pricing schemes, and regulatory incentives – necessary for commercial viability.

The thesis offers three major contributions: a comprehensive literature review that maps the sustainable IS domain; a novel, stakeholder‑validated business‑model artefact; and a robust quantitative evaluation that bridges theory and practice. Stakeholders from the Dutch green‑hydrogen ecosystem confirmed the relevance and applicability of his findings, which are already being prepared for academic publication.

Beyond technical excellence, Joost Jan displayed professional maturity, autonomy, and exceptional facilitation skills, orchestrating workshops and focus groups that enriched the research. The committee, ranking his work first among eleven candidates, highlights its extensive scope, methodological soundness, and clear impact on both academia and industry.

For its conceptual innovation, methodological rigor, and tangible contribution to the renewable‑energy transition, we proudly honor Joost Jan Elenbaas with this award.

— The 2026 Award Committee

2026 Award Committee

Prof. Dr. João Álvaro Carvalho

Committee Chair

University of Minho | Guimarães | Portugal

Prof. Dr. Anthony Simonofski

Committee Member

University of Namur | Namur | Belgium

Prof. Dr. Khushbu Tilvawala

Committee Member

University of Auckland | Auckland | New Zealand

Prof. Dr. Marco Smacchia

Committee Member

Università degli Studi della Tuscia | Viterbo | Italy

Recognizing Excellence in Information Systems Master's Theses

We are proud to recognize outstanding achievement in Master’s theses within the field of Information Systems! This award celebrates students who demonstrate exceptional scholarship and innovative thinking.

But what makes a thesis award-winning? We evaluate candidates based on a rigorous set of criteria designed to ensure the selected work represents the highest standards in IS research. Our judging panel looks beyond simply completing a thesis – they seek evidence of true mastery in several key areas:

What We Look For:

Master-Level Understanding: Students must demonstrate a robust understanding of Information Systems concepts appropriate for Master’s level study.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Successful theses integrate knowledge effectively to tackle complex issues. They demonstrate the ability to develop practical solutions and make informed judgments in real-world IS scenarios, even when information is incomplete.
Innovative Application: We value theses that apply IS knowledge and skills in novel contexts, pushing boundaries beyond the typical classroom exercise. This includes applying expertise to broader challenges.
Holistic Assessment: Award-winning theses don’t just focus on technical solutions. We expect thoughtful critical assessment that considers the broader implications – human, social, environmental, or otherwise – of the work.
Clear Communication: The ability to effectively communicate complex findings is crucial. We assess the thesis’s clarity, ensuring conclusions and supporting rationale are presented in a way accessible to both specialist audiences and those new to the field. This includes clear descriptions of the work itself and strong justifications for the design decisions made.

Rating Scale:

Theses are assessed against these criteria and awarded one of two ratings:

Objectives Achieved: The objectives of the work were clearly achieved, demonstrating quantity *and/or* quality in their results.
Objectives Exceeded: The objectives of the work were clearly achieved, and even surpassed, resulting in a thesis of exceptional quality.

We believe this rigorous evaluation process ensures we recognize and celebrate the most impactful and innovative work emerging from the next generation of Information Systems leaders.