GRK 1703:  Resource Efficiency in Interorganisational Networks - Planning Methods to Utilise Renewable Resources

• Subject Area: Economics
• Term: from 2012 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 172586392

The overall aim of the Research Training Group is the development and application of methods for the improvement of resource efficiency in interorganisational networks. It focusses on the efficient utilisation of renewable resources in combined production processes with multiple outputs. The ultimate goal is the cascadic utilisation of renewable resources through multiple sequential utilisation of the same input and prior to energetic utilisation. The aspiration of efficiency aims is seen as a contribution to sustainability management by changing the course of action in all areas of the network - in-plant and interorganisational, on operative, tactical and strategic level, with respect to systems and processes, material suppliers, manufacturers, retailers as well as consumers. As the common starting point lignocellulosic materials are selected. From the business administration’s perspective, lignocellulosics are suitable for manufacturing as well as for the process industry and require appropriate planning methods. To identify economic incentives, models and methods of operations research are used for decision support. Issues requiring further research exist for uncertainties in quality and quantity of renewable resources, but also in the handling of multiple, sometimes conflicting goal functions, and the requirements of data processing. Besides the requirements towards single enterprises the consequences on corporate level have to be investigated as well, e.g. the configuration of information management and data interchange, the business relations as well as the organisation structures. Consideration of the selling markets completes the analysis and allows conclusions on the requirements towards product design. The common access to the research topic resource efficiency by the participating faculties of agricultural sciences, forestry, mathematics and economic sciences facilitates a broad understanding of current issues. Synergy effects and knowledge transfer are conveyed purposeful through the suggested qualification programme. Initiative and personal responsibility are emphasised.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Jutta Geldermann
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Lutz Maria Kolbe; Privatdozent Dr. Carsten Mai, since 5/2014; Professor Dr. Holger Militz; Professor Dr. Matthias Schumann; Professorin Dr. Anita Schöbel; Professor Dr. Waldemar Toporowski