Bachelor Course at ETH Zurich: Wood Supply Chain Through the lens of Systems Thinking
For the second consecutive year, researchers of MainWood offer a course on systems thinking, focusing on the Swiss wood supply chain. The Integrated Practicum course, Systems Dynamics for a Transition to Bioeconomy: Upscaling Wood Production in Switzerland, equips students with systems thinking experience and practical insights to model the wood supply chain, with a focus on upscaling sustainable wood production for construction in Switzerland.
In ten sessions, students will learn foundational systems thinking concepts and apply them to develop a dynamic model. A key feature of the course is collaboration with professionals from forestry, the wood industry, scientific research, and engineering to explore challenges and opportunities across the wood supply chain, which will inform and refine their models.
The course culminates in a collaborative final model that integrates group findings into a cohesive representation of the bioeconomy transition. This model will be presented to and critiqued by MainWood researchers and practitioners. We are grateful to the professionals who provide out students guidance and hands-on insights and thank them for their collaboration and involvement!!
The course consists of 9 sessions:
Introduction to systems thinking and initial model building, focusing on the wood bioeconomy transition in Switzerland.
Desk research on wood supply chain segments, draft model development, and preparation for stakeholder interviews.
Conduct interviews with practitioners to gather insights into challenges and opportunities within the wood supply chain.
Refine the model using practitioner interview findings and prepare for follow-up interviews with scientists.
Conduct interviews with MainWood scientists to deepen understanding of wood supply chain challenges and solutions.
Field excursion to observe real-world processes related to wood bioeconomy and supply chain operations.
Consolidate findings into a second draft model and prepare presentations of group insights.
Merge group models into a cohesive final model and prepare for final presentations.
Present the final model, receive feedback from MainWood stakeholders, and discuss its feasibility and applications.
