Research - focus on sustainable value growth

Research at the Chair WBW focuses on sustainable operational value creation, particularly on socio-ecological and digital change – often referred to as the twin transition – and the associated energy transformation. The resulting challenges and opportunities for sustainably advantageous competitive positioning build the framework for the choice of topics for the research projects in the primarily energy-, plant- and material-intensive industrial environment.

This requires, in particular, a value-oriented examination of the aspects of an integrated, ESG-based view of operational value creation and the techno-economic contribution to the value creation of a holistically optimized operational energy management in close coordination with the production process of companies. In this context, it is essential to deal with suitable digital instruments and methods for increasing the contribution to value creation.

Ultimately, this results in the three main areas of research:

  • [Resource Economics] with issues ranging from the socio-ecological transformation of the economic system to the monetization of company-relevant environmental aspects,
  • [Energy Management] with all the possibilities of a sustainable contribution to value creation for the company through a holistically integrated energy management system, and
  • [Business Analytics] with the innovative applications of digital tools and methods in resource economics and energy management.

A significant concern in terms of research-led teaching and continuing education is the transfer of new findings from research into ongoing teaching and continuing education activities as well as the presentation of research results to the scientific community in the form of publications, specialist articles, and lectures. Overall, research aims to contribute to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 4 (Quality Education), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).