About the initiative

About the initiative#

Production and consumption systems are socio-technical systems that are now more complex and intertwined than ever. Studying the sustainability of such systems can be challenging since aspects like heterogeneous consumption patterns, non-linear dynamics and emergent behaviours add another layer of complexity. For this, Agent Based Modeling has been increasingly used as an approach to enhance Life Cycle Thinking. While this coupled approach is not novel in the literature, its adoption is far from being mainstream among practitioners when dealing with this type of research inquiry.

We are an open initiative consisting of researchers who are industrial ecologists, computer scientists, and social scientists, aiming to integrate complexity-oriented methods into life cycle thinking (LCT) approach. Many of us apply agent-based modelling (ABM) techniques in combination with life cycle assessment (LCA), input-output analysis (IOA), and material flow analysis (MFA) to explore and assess the sustainability of socio-techno-ecological systems. We provide opportunities for networking, research collaboration, and methodological development. Our application areas vary, including circular economy, industrial symbiosis, construction, urban planning, agriculture and food.

Objectives#

  • Promote the use of complexity-oriented methods in combination with life-cycle thinking approaches in the study of the sustainability of complex systems.

  • Provide a platform to that allows the discussion and the further development of the methodologies used in complexity-oriented life-cycle studies.

  • Be a facilitator for communication and dissemination among interested researchers transcending domains and academic societies.

Methodologies relevant to the initiative#

  • Agent-based modeling and simulation (ABMS)

  • System dynamics (SD)

  • Discrete event simulation (DES)

  • Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)

  • Input-output analysis (IOA)

  • Life cycle assessment (LCA)

  • Material flow analysis (MFA)

Activities#

We plan to organize the following activities:

  • Facilitating information exchanges through an email list

  • Online seminars to present and discuss ongoing research

  • In-person workshops or special sessions in related conferences

  • Co-development of methodology, toolkits, and platforms and co-authoring papers

Steering members#

  • Kasper LANGE, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands

  • Ryu KOIDE, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan

  • Tianran DING, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Luxembourg

  • Gustavo LARREA GALLEGOS, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Luxembourg

  • Michal BACZYK, Utrecht University, The Netherlands

  • Jonathan Cohen, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden