Understanding Complexity through Systems Approaches
Course Description The course focuses on developing system dynamic models for socio-technical transitions. With the practical case of upscaling the use of wood for construction, students will interact with stakeholders of the wood supply chain and model 1) their relations, 2) emerging non-linear dynamics (e.g., feedbacks and tipping points), and 3) trade-offs between economic, societal, and environmental benefits. Link to course on ETH catalogue.
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Mainstreaming Wood in Construction: A Holistic Approach
The building sector is one of the highest CO2 emitters, and thanks to modern technologies, using more sustainable construction materials can help deliver net-zero emissions as well as good housing. Using timber would not only increase carbon storage in our buildings, but would also avoid the CO2 emissions of conventional building materials such as concrete - which is still the default.
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Efficiency and resilience: Key drivers of distribution network growth
Distribution networks, which supply goods from manufacturers to final buyers, are crucial for a functioning economy. A network model is proposed to describe the emergence and growth of these networks. The model considers two firm-level practices: centralization and multi-sourcing. Centralization enhances network efficiency by using short distribution paths, while multi-sourcing fosters resilience by providing multiple distribution paths. The model was validated using data on drug shipments in the US, and it successfully replicates several structural features of the empirical networks, including their out-degree and path length distributions, as well as their resilience and efficiency properties. The findings suggest that the proposed firm-level practices effectively capture the network growth process that leads to the observed structures.
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