Chair of Sustainability and Socio-Technical Transformation

The research group at Clausthal University of Technology aims to establish an interdisciplinary and comprehensive research agenda on sustainability and socio-technical transformation. A central aspect is the creation of a platform for the exchange of knowledge and information with actors from private companies, universities, research institutions, government agencies, the population and the media. This platform will support the development and implementation of interaction mechanisms between socio-economic systems and transformative innovation governance structures.

The chair is interdisciplinary and promotes research and teaching in the fields of environment and technology, circular economy, regional supply and disposal mechanisms in sustainable supply chains, including logistics, mobility and transport, intelligent management of the resource nexus (water, energy, food) and innovative business ecosystems. The aim is to enable a sustainable and regional transformation that ensures the efficient supply and availability of raw materials and finished goods in order to guarantee production, trade, consumption and disposal. The field of activity lies at the interface of economics, engineering and materials technology and combines excellent research and teaching at Clausthal University of Technology in these areas.

Four subject areas are being established and further developed in line with international standards of knowledge:

1. analysis and modelling of socio-technical transformation using system dynamics modelling.

2. planning and design of sustainable urban regions: Analysis of regional supply and disposal mechanisms and infrastructures with regard to their (climate) resilience and sustainability using stress test scenarios.

3. systematic analysis of supply chains from raw materials to disposal and closing the loop: implementation of governance models of the sustainable supply chain in the circular economy.

4. development of quantitative instruments (decision support tools) and indicators for political decision-makers to measure conflicting goals and synergies and to analyse interrelationships and feedback loops within economic systems (MCDA analysis).

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