PhD project: The Nordic bioeconomy transition. Part of the NOWAGG project (New Nordic Ways to Green Growth, funded by Nordforsk)

University: Aarhus University

Department: department of environmental science,  SAMMI section (environmental social science)

Supervisor: Mikael Skou Andersen

Project term: November 1 2017 – October 31 2020

Master degree: Cand. Scient. in political science, Aarhus University. Specialization in international relations, comparative politics, game theory, and environmental sociology.

Background:

The Nordic countries are experiencing many challenges, such as geographically uneven economic development, ageing populations and loss of job opportunities in rural regions. In addition, current production structures and consumption behavior threaten to aggravate climate change, resource depletion, pollution and loss of biodiversity. A bioeconomy transition has been suggested as a way to mitigate these challenges, and biomass is already becoming a technologically viable replacement for oil and petrochemicals within many industrial sectors. However, there are still challenges in up-scaling these technologies.

Aim:

The object of work package 3 in the NOWAGG project is to gain insights into financing challenges in relation to technologies for green and blue biomass utilization. Of special interest is whether up-scaling of bio-based technologies can contribute to the development of disadvantaged Nordic regions and ensure social, environmental and economic sustainability as envisioned in the Nordic bioeconomy strategy. The expectation that up-scaling can contribute to regional development rests on several assumptions. The aim of this PhD project is to gain a deeper understanding of the conditions under which some of these assumptions are true.

Research outline:

The first paper provides a general perspective on the compatibility of various policy objectives in the Nordic bioeconomy strategy using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The second paper examines whether seaweed cultivation can contribute to stable regional development in West Nordic countries through a process tracing analysis of Staples Trap mechanisms. The third paper uses game theoretic modeling to determine optimal response strategies that will enable the bioeconomy transition to reduce regional inequality. Paper four is a meta-methodological analysis discussing the promises and pitfalls of using set-theoretic methods in green transition studies.

Partners:

• Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Oslo Norway
• iClimate Aarhus University Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change
• Department of Agroecology, system section, Aarhus University