Senior Consultant Socio-Economy at Intep – Integrale Planung GmbH

I chose to study System Dynamics because, during my MSc in Sustainability and Business, I often struggled to structure and clearly explain complex sustainability issues. I understood that many problems were interconnected, but I did not have a solid framework to organize my thinking. 

System Dynamics gave me a way to structure complexity, think more clearly, and communicate my arguments in a more convincing and logical way.

The best memories from studying System Dynamics in Bergen

My best memories from the System Dynamics studies are meeting students from many different countries and backgrounds. Even though I wasn't located in Bergen and just visited once a year, it is lovely to stay in touch over the years, sometimes reconnecting at conferences.

I also remember the Philosophy of Science course very positively. Being in the fjords for a few days was a special change of scenery. It was a simple but memorable experience with people from other research areas that I would have never met.

My PhD project

In my PhD project, I studied transformation processes in the built environment, focusing on how complex sustainability transitions can be better structured and supported through systemic thinking. I analyzed barriers and leverage points for circular economy in long-term infrastructure and building transformation, especially in the context of material flows and policies related to renovation, and decarbonization.

My current occupation

I work as a Senior Consultant Socio-Economy at Intep – Integrale Planung GmbH in Zurich. I support complex infrastructure and transformation projects where technical planning, economics, and sustainability objectives intersect.

My work focuses on structuring decision processes in early project phases, identifying systemic risks and developing integrated transformation concepts for public authorities and infrastructure operators. I work at the interface between strategy and implementation. Most projects allow me to help clients make robust long-term decisions under uncertainty, focussed on sustainability.

How System Dynamics is relevant for my work

System Dynamics is directly relevant in projects where we model dynamic processes explicitly. In one current infrastructure project, we use System Dynamics to model waste flows and their interaction with different carbon capture and storage scenarios. The model helps us understand how material streams, treatment capacities, policy incentives, and CO₂ capture infrastructure influence each other over time.

In another research-oriented project, I developed a Causal Loop Diagram to analyze barriers and leverage points in building renovation and transformation processes. The CLD structures the interaction between regulation, market behavior, financing conditions, and decision-making dynamics.

Clients show strong interest in this systemic perspective. However, it is often difficult to secure direct funding for dedicated modelling work. So far, only one project has been explicitly financed as a full System Dynamics model, mainly because uncertainty in that context is particularly high. The greater the uncertainty and systemic complexity, the more valuable structured dynamic modelling becomes.

My advice to new System Dynamics students

My advice to new System Dynamics students is to use the methodology first and foremost to discipline your own thinking. It is an excellent tool to structure complexity and challenge your own assumptions. At the same time, do not stay in the modelling bubble. Networking and engaging with practitioners is essential to understand real-world use cases and the implications of your models. As one of my professors once said: nobody wants a model, everyone wants a solution.

System Dynamics becomes powerful when it helps decision-makers move forward, not when it remains an elegant analytical exercise.