Profilseminar Innovation Economics

Modul number: 5209-301

 

Topic: “The transformation towards sustainability – changing production and consumption patterns”

 

In this seminar, the overarching theoretical frame will be the transformation of current production and consumption patterns towards sustainability with a particular focus on (technological) innovation systems and biointelligence.

 

Sustainability has become the central social, political, and entrepreneurial issue. Today we live in a globalized economy with an international division of labour. Current value-added systems with complex, global supply chains are drivers of centralisation at various levels (e.g., housing and living, work, energy, food and nutrition, medical care, etc.) and lead to worsening environmental problems such as climate change or resource scarcity as well as to social imbalances such as regional housing or skills shortages.

 

The transformation of traditional industrial value creation to a sustainable mode of production is essential both for society and for Germany as an economic location. The challenges facing individuals and companies in this context are manifold. In addition to demographic development, globalisation, individualization, and digitalisation, ensuring the continuous availability of resources and a drastic reduction in environmental pollution (including climate change) are indispensable. However, the current mode of industrial production, which is based on linear concepts, seems unsuitable for this. To solve these inherent challenges, the innovation sphere created by biointelligence is seen as a promising solution.

 

Biointelligence is the result of the convergence of bio-, hard-, and software. This cross-fertilization of knowledge between life science, engineering, and information science has the potential to trigger the emergence of a new technological paradigm that unlocks innovative transformation paths and technological trajectories in a variety of domains.​ Biointelligent systems contain a technical and a biological component as well as a feedback loop and exhibit generally accepted characteristics of (artificial) intelligence. Through the dedicated consideration of sustainability criteria during their development and application, biointelligent systems are intended to contribute to a sustainable design of products and production in various fields of human needs, including health, nutrition, energy, housing, and consumption. ​ Biointelligent value creation realises the relocation of value creation in those fields. As new biointelligent systems meet needs in these fields more effectively against the backdrop of resource scarcity and many sustainability challenges, existing products and technologies are displaced and new market potential for biointelligent technologies is created at a wide range of levels.

 

The participants of the seminar will identify and analyse suitable case studies that illustrate the dimensions of the relocation of value creation processes in the various fields of needs, including health, food and nutrition, energy, housing and living, as well as consumption. In doing so, they will apply a wide range of methods, from systematic literature reviews to text analysis or structured interviews.

 

This seminar takes place on-site. Please note that it is mandatory to participate in the following meetings:

 

·        Kick-off: 12.04.2023, 14:00 – 16:00

·        How to research: 19.04.2023, 14:00 – 16:00

·        Q&A and group work: 24.05.2023, 14:00 – 16:00

·        Student presentations: 20.06.2023 13:00 – 15:00 (S 14)

 

If you are interested in participating in this seminar, please send an email to Lea Stöber with the subject ‘Bachelor seminar innovation economics summer term 2023 – YOUR STUDENT NUMBER’ covering the following information:

 

  • Have you ever attended a lecture / course / seminar at our chair? If so, which one?
  • What are your expectations concerning this seminar?
  • Have you already participated in a seminar course? If so, how was the result?

 

You will receive further information on the meetings after you are registered. During the kick-off on April 12, 2023, you will get information about the procedures and topic allocation.

 

Please note that the completion of our ILIAS E-learning course "Scientific Writing/ Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten (ab WS2022)" (https://ilias.uni-hohenheim.de/goto.php?target=crs_1384304&client_id=UHOH) is a prerequisite to be able to join our seminars.