Prof. Dr. Thorsten Merkle

Work at ZHAW

Position

• Head of Expert Group Hospitality and Service Management
• International Relations IFM

Education and Continuing education

Education

• flight instructor FI(A)
  Flugschule Grenchen
  08 / 2022 - 12 / 2022
• commercial pilot CPL(A)
  alpaviation
  03 / 2019 - 07 / 2021
• PhD / Business and Management
  University of Gloucesterhire
  10 / 2011 - 03 / 2017
• Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education
  University of Derby
  08 / 2013 - 10 / 2014
• MBA / international Management
  Europäische Fernhochschule Hamburg
  03 / 2008 - 09 / 2009
• Diplom Betriebswirt (FH)
  Hochschule Heilbronn
  10 / 1998 - 03 / 2002

Network

Membership of networks

• FCSI (Food Service Consultants Society International): Consultant
• Institute of Hospitality: Member
• International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE): Member
• Higher Education Academy (HEA): Fellow
• Washington State University: Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living: Faculty Fellow
• Chairperson: CHRIE Special Interest Group: The Business of Ageing in Hospitality

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8945-1438

Media presence

Magazin ARTISET

Projects

• An integrated, data-driven Smart Real Estate life cycle benchmark as a foundation for innovative delivery models in the real estate sector / Project leader / ongoing
• Evaluation and Analysis of Strategic Management Indicators for Healthcare Properties / Team member / ongoing
• Technologization and Digitalization in Swiss Residential and Nursing Homes / Team member / ongoing
• Catering concept Zollikerberg / Project leader / completed
• Food Waste Measure in Airline Catering / Deputy project leader / completed
• Zipp & Scan / Deputy project leader / completed
• Digitalisation and technologisation in care homes / Team member / completed
• Nudging for Sustainability / Deputy project leader / completed
• Improving the well-being of residents in care homes by making catering services more flexible with the help of technology / Team member / completed
• DIGINUT – Comprehensive Digitalisation of Patient Nutrition Uptake in Health Care / Co-project leader / completed
• DC4HC – Digital Competence for Healthcare / Project leader / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Gerber, N., Merkle, T., & Schefer, N. (2025). Wanted: New approaches for food service provision in care homes of the future. Journal of Ageing and Longevity, 5(4), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/jal5040050
• Merkle, T., & Das, S. (2025). Passenger delight in liminal spaces : uncovering the dynamics of airport airside F&B. ICHRIE Research Reports, 10(6), 5. https://doi.org/10.61701/382227.968
• Merkle, T., Seenivasan, S., & Das, S. (2025). Effect of street-pricing deregulation in U.S. airports on customer satisfaction. ICHRIE Research Reports, 10(3), 1. https://doi.org/10.61701/957987.659
• Ratten, V., Lux, A., & Merkle, T. (2025). Tips from management editors : managing your academic reputation, post-publication promotion and building your network. Journal of Management & Organization, 31(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2024.54
• Jeanfavre, E., & Merkle, T. (2024). Nachhaltiges Management von Hotelinfrastrukturen : Untersuchung der Zieldivergenz zwischen Eigentümern und Betreibern. Swiss Real Estate Journal, 29, 59–66.

Books, peer-reviewed

Ratten, V., Merkle, T., & Tavare, F. (2026). International encyclopedia of business management (Vol. 4). Academic Press.

Book chapters, peer-reviewed

• Merkle, T. (2026). The evolution of tourism, hospitality, and service management. In International Encyclopedia of Business Management (Vol. 4, pp. 339–344). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13701-3.00602-2
• Gerber, N., & Merkle, T. (2026). Non-medical support services in healthcare organizations. In International Encyclopedia of Business Management (Vol. 4, pp. 455–459). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-13701-3.00245-0
• Merkle, T. (2026). Overtourism. In International Encyclopedia of Business Management (Vol. 4, pp. 650–654). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-13701-3.00488-6
• Merkle, T., Knaus, D., & Siegrist, C. (2024). Closing the service innovation gap in hospitality management : the case of a fast-food chain in Switzerland. In M. Sigala, M. Fang, A. Yeark, J. N. Albrecht, & O. Vorobjovas-Pinta (Eds.), Case Based Research in Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality (pp. 179–192). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-1891-7_10
• Merkle, T., Knaus, D. L., & Siegrist, C. (2023). An exploration of the service innovation gap in Swiss tourism. In V. Ratten (Ed.), Entrepreneurship Business Debates (pp. 87–96). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1071-7_6
• Hörburger, N., & Merkle, T. (2023). The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism in alpine areas of Switzerland. In V. Ratten (Ed.), Heritage Entrepreneurship: Cultural and Creative Pursuits in Business Management (pp. 119–135). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5149-7_6
• Golding, P., & Merkle, T. (2022). Matching business travel with wine tourism : the case of the canton of Grisons, Switzerland. In S. K. Dixit (Ed.), Routledge Handbook of Wine Tourism (pp. 395–408). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003143628-35
• Merkle, T., Tajeddini, K., Vlachos, I., & Keane, J. (2020). Entrepreneurship within airside food and beverage outlet patronage : the creation of ecosystems using outlet context and passenger’s emotions. In Entrepreneurship as empowerment : knowledge spillovers and entrepreneurial ecosystems (pp. 127–150). Emerald. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83982-550-720201010
• Knaus, D. L., & Merkle, T. (2020). Open innovation in sports management : the case of the FIFA museum in Zurich, Switzerland. In Sport entrepreneurship : an economic, social and sustainability perspective subject (pp. 43–53). Emerald. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83982-836-220201008
• Merkle, T., Tajeddini, K., Mostberger, S., Rohner, S., Schmid, K., & Shaw, E. (2019). Digital application : evidence from Zurich airport. In K. Tajeddini, V. Ratten, & T. Merkle (Eds.), Tourism, Hospitality and Digital Transformation (pp. 147–164). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429054396-9

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• Diez, K., Kramer, I., Merkle, T., & Zigan, N. (2026). Zipp & Scan – eine innovative Lösung zur Optimierung des Effektenhandlings im Krankenhaus [Conference paper]. Journal für Facility Management, 28, 8–24.
• Schneider Stingelin, C., Gerber, N., Merkle, T., & Zigan, N. (2025). Alters- und Pflegeheim : explorative Studie zur Kommunikation für die Einführung und Begleitung neuer Technologien. Jahrestagung der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft (SGKM-SACM), Chur, Schweiz, 21.-23. Mai 2025.
• Schneider Stingelin, C., Merkle, T., Gerber, N., & Zigan, N. (2025, September 3). Residential and nursing homes : an exploratory study on the introduction and accompaniment of new technologies. 7th Digital Health Lab Day, Winterthur, Switzerland, 3 September 2025.
• Merkle, T., Diez, K., Kramer, I., & Ottenbacher, M. (2025, May 29). Zipp & Scan : revolutionizing patient belongings management in same-day surgery – a pilot study from Switzerland. APacCHRIE 2025 Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 27-30 May 2025.
• Merkle, T., Han, D.-I., Ossola, P., Swanger, N., & Wang, L. (2025, May 29). The business of ageing in hospitality. APacCHRIE 2025 Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 27-30 May 2025.
• Merkle, T., Das, S., & Seenivasan, S. (2025, May 28). Passenger delight in liminal spaces : unveiling the dynamics of airport airside F&B. APacCHRIE 2025 Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 27-30 May 2025.
• Merkle, T., Gerber, N., Schneider Stingelin, C., & Zigan, N. (2025, January 30). Technische Innovationen im Alters-und Pflegheim und der Umgang mit heterogenen Stakeholdern. Spotlight FMplus, Zürich, Schweiz, 30.-31. Januar 2025. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-32203
• Merkle, T., & Pfenninger, M. (2024, July). Using AI in business model development at Masters’ level – findings from a preliminary study in Switzerland. International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) Global Conference, Montreal, Canada, 24-26 July 2024. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-31181
• Merkle, T., & Bratschi, T. (2023). Developing an innovative curriculum for a BSc hospitality program in Switzerland. Annual International CHRIE Summer Conference, Phoenix, USA, 19-21 July 2023.
• Merkle, T., Jeanfavre, E., Gerber, N., Braun, L., Kornsteiner, T., & Umbricht, B. (2023, October). Implementation of service robots in Swiss hospitals and hotels : an investigation of the barriers to use. 40th Annual European Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE) Conference, Vienna, Austria, 3-6 October 2023. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-28843
• Merkle, T., & Wrase, I. (2023, July 19). Digitizing healthcare patient nutrition intake in Swiss hospitals. Annual International CHRIE Summer Conference, Phoenix, USA, 19-21 July 2023.
• Gerber, N., & Merkle, T. (2023). Improving residents’ wellbeing in senior citizen homes with more individualized food services [Conference paper]. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1176, 12016. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1176/1/012016
• Merkle, T., Knaus, D., & Siegrist, C. (2022, October). Addressing the service innovation gap : the case of a fast food chain. 39th Annual European Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE) Conference, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, 24-27 October 2022. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-26008
• Merkle, T., Knaus, D., & Siegrist, C. (2022, August). An exploration of the service innovation gap in Swiss tourism. 2022 Annual International CHRIE Summer Conference, Washington, D.C., USA, 3-6 August 2022.

Other publications

• Diez, K., Kramer, I., Merkle, T., & Zigan, N. (2025). Zipp & Scan-Prozess am Kantonsspital Baden zur Optimierung des Effektenhandlings von Same-Day-Surgery-Patient:innen. Spotlight FMplus, Zürich, Schweiz, 30.-31. Januar 2025.
• Merkle, T., & Schneider Stingelin, C. (2025). Service-Outsourcing im Alters- und Pflegeheim – Zukunft oder Zumutung? Clinicum, 2025(5), 80–81. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-34590
• Gerber, N., Schneider Stingelin, C., Zigan, N., & Merkle, T. (2025). Digitalität in Alters- und Pflegeheimen : den Stier bei den Hörnern packen oder wie das Kaninchen vor der Schlange erstarren? Wir haben die Wahl! Gerontologieblog.ch. https://www.gerontologieblog.ch/digitalitaet-in-alters-und-pflegeheimen-den-stier-bei-den-hoernern-packen-oder-wie-das-kaninchen-vor-der-schlange-erstarren-wir-haben-die-wahl/
• Merkle, T., & Plüss, T. (2024). Organisationsformen des Facility Management in Schweizer Akutspitälern. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-29640
• Merkle, T., & Plüss, T. (2024). Organisationsformen des Facility Managements in Akutspitälern. Clinicum, 2024(3), 67–69. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-31486
• Merkle, T., Diez, K., Gerber, N., & Jeanfavre, E. (2024). Innovationsforschung im Bereich Gästeservice / Hotellerie in Spitälern. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-29836
• Gerber, N., Merkle, T., & Jeanfavre, E. (2023). Erhöhung des Wohlergehens von Bewohnenden in Alters- und Pflegeheimen durch Flexibilisierung der Verpflegungsleistungen mithilfe von Technologie : Schlussbericht der Vorstudie als Basis für weitere Forschungstätigkeiten. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-26854
• Merkle, T. (2022). Tourism innovation in Spain and Portugal. Thunderbird International Business Review, 64(6), 709–710. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.22310
• Klauser, V., Pfenninger, M., & Merkle, T. (2022). DIGINUT : Digitalisierung und Nutzen von Patientenernährungsdaten. ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-25314

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• Merkle, T., Brombach, C., Gerber, C., Hamerle, C., Herzog, P., Medawar, E., & Winter, C. (2026, February 6). Food Service im Wandel : wie Genuss, Technologie und Nachhaltigkeit zusammenfinden. Food Service Perspektiven – Innovation trifft Genuss, Wädenswil, Schweiz, 6. Februar 2026.
• Wang, L., Merkle, T., Han, D.-I. D., & Ossola, P. (2025, November 13). The Business of Ageing in Hospitality (BAH) ICHRIE Special Interest Group (SIG) inaugural meeting. 42nd Annual European Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE) Conference, the Hague, the Netherlands, 11-13 November 2025.
• Merkle, T., Hubeli, J., Herren, A., Möckli, M., Bühler, E., & Zanettin, G. (2025, June 26). Für wen und wann ist Outsourcing sinnvoll? 10. Fachkonferenz: Das Pflegeheim der Zukunft, Schwyz, Schweiz, 26.-27. Juni 2025.
• Merkle, T., Das, S., & Weddig, A. (2025, April 8). The next evolution of CX delighters in an airport. Passenger Terminal Expo & Conference, Madrid, Spain, 8-10 April 2025.
• Schneider Stingelin, C., Gerber, N., Merkle, T., & Zigan, N. (2025, April 1). Digitalisierung und Technologisierung im Alters- und Pflegeheim. Neue Technologien für ein besseres Altern, Winterthur, Schweiz, 1. April 2025.
• Wang, X. L., Han, D.-I. D., Merkle, T., Ossola, P., Swanger, N., & Xu, T. (2024, November 5). Silver Economy and Hospitality 4 Good. 41st Annual European Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (EuroCHRIE) Conference, Doha, Qatar, 4-7 November 2024.
• Merkle, T. (2024, October 22). Stellenwert Hotellerie. 4. Schweizer Hotellerie-Symposium im Gesundheitswesen, Suhr, Schweiz, 22. Oktober 2024.
• Merkle, T., Han, D.-I., Ossola, P., Swanger, N., & Wang, L. (2024, July). Creating an ICHRIE Special Interest Group (SIG) for the field of “Hospitality Management in Senior Living and Care”. International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE) Global Conference, Montreal, Canada, 24-26 July 2024.
• Gerber, N., & Merkle, T. (2023, June 22). Individualisierte Verpflegung – ein Megatrend. 8. Fachkonferenz – Das Pflegeheim der Zukunft, Blezinger Healthcare, Luzern, Schweiz, 22.-23. Juni 2023.
• Merkle, T. (2021, November 26). Foodflow – und plötzlich ist alles digital. FM Perspektiven: FM Innovationen in HC digital, Wädenswil, 26. November 2021.
• Merkle, T., & Kaeuper, P. (2021, November 26). DIGINUT : Digitalisierung im Verpflegungsbereich. FM Perspektiven: FM Innovationen in HC digital, Wädenswil, 26. November 2021.

Affiliations

Current Affiliations

International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education: Special Interest Group Chair
International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE): The Business of Ageing in Hospitality SIG: Chair, Richmond
03 / 2025 - 08 / 2026

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