Sustainable Operations: Designing Supply Chain Networks for a Regional Bioeconomy
Note: This project module is also suitable for students doing the Sustainable Chemistry M.Sc.
Handout
Content and Objective of the Project Module
The transition from fossil raw materials to renewable resources is one of the most critical challenges facing today’s industrial landscape. To significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, environmental impacts, and import dependencies, existing supply chains, business models and infrastructures must be fundamentally transformed. In this context, the regional bioeconomy plays a key role: By utilizing locally available biomass and organic waste streams, regions can combine climate protection and supply security with local value creation. Ideally, this approach minimizes both the ecological footprint and production costs simultaneously.
Addressing this complex challenge requires system-level thinking and actionable insights, which forms the core of this project module. Using North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) – one of Europe’s major industrial hubs – as a regional case study, students will work in groups to investigate the design and feasibility of regional, bio-based value chains. Specifically, the module focuses on the value chain from biomass to ethylene glycol (EG) as a case study. Ethylene glycol is an important monomer with rising global demand, used among other things for PET production, yet it is still obtained largely from fossil raw materials. Re-engineering its supply chain from regional waste streams presents a realistic, highly relevant industry case study involving complex technological, economic, logistical, and environmental trade-offs.
Supported by teaching staff, groups will analyze the same regional case study from different analytical and stakeholder perspectives as proposed in predefined focus topics. They may use methods such as techno-economic analysis (TEA), supply chain modeling and optimization, life cycle assessment (LCA), and multi-criteria evaluation. Following an introduction to these methods, each group will work on their respective research questions in interdisciplinary teams. This module empowers students to navigate the complete research cycle from defining the research question and selecting appropriate methods to interpreting and contextualizing the results. By bridging academic rigor with practical application, students acquire hands-on expertise in supply chain assessment and modeling methodologies, sharpen their system-thinking capabilities, and learn how to derive actionable strategic recommendations for regional decision-makers and industrial stakeholders.
Target Group and Prerequisites
- Target Group: Master BWL (CDS, SC, ORM), Master WiWi (CDS, SC, ORM, GM), Master Wirt.-Ing (CDS, SC, ORM)
- Maximum Number of Participants: 18
- Language of Instruction: English
- No prior knowledge is required
Organizational Structure and Schedule
The project module will take place in the form of a block event on selected mandatory attendance dates (kick-off, introduction to scientific writing, interim presentation and final presentation). In between, we offer online consultation appointments. During the kick-off meeting, the concept of the course, specific topics and corresponding tasks will be presented. At the end of the kick-off meeting, groups are formed and the topics are then assigned.
Examination Requirements
At the end of the project module, students must submit a paper documenting their project results. The requirement is 15 pages per group member. Each group also presents its results during a final presentation session (20-minute presentation + 10 minutes of discussion per group). Additionally, an interim presentation is part of the examination (15-minute presentation + 10 minutes of discussion per group).
The final grade is made up of the paper (65%) and colloquia (interim and final presentation) (35%).
Registration for the Course
Current Information on the Registration Process, including Deadlines, will likely be available from the end of September on the website: Project Modules - RWTH AACHEN UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Business Administration - English (rwth-aachen.de)
Registration for the Exam
Upon the system assignment (fixed place) to the project module course, automatic exam registration will be carried out by the WiWi Examination Management. Therefore, a separate exam registration for students in project modules is not necessary (exception: waiting list).
Contact Person for Questions
Module Content
Dr. Laura Frank, Nadja Vierzigmann
Course Registration
Cathrin Schwaebe
Templergraben 64, Room 621
zuteilung@wiwi.rwth-aachen.de
Exam Registration
Dr. Sandra Silvertant
Examination Coordinator
Templergraben 64, Room 622
pruefungen@wiwi.rwth-aachen.de