We offer our expertise in systems analysis for investigating and modeling spatially and temporally resolved energy requirements in the food sector, evaluating and modeling resource, such as renewable energies, water and land use, and saving potentials of new processes and technologies at national, EU, and global levels. Spatially resolved analyses of energy supply, energy demand, and usage patterns to clarify where certain technologies can be usefully deployed or where resources are available and should be optimally utilized, with the aim of demonstrating how different technological options affect overall resource consumption. Our strength is with scenario-based analysis, optimization approaches, and the assessment of trade-offs between energy, bioenergy, biomass and other resource demands.

With our focus on systems analysis, we want to support practical, laboratory, and pilot studies in order to model measures and technologies under investigation (e.g. urban farming, use of algae for nutrition) in large-scale applications and to illustrate their potential for reducing resource and energy consumption as well as their economic efficiency. We see ourselves as an accompanying project partner that embeds experimental or technological results in an overarching systems and scenario context.

We are looking for partners who compare different applications or technologies or develop a new approach that can be examined and compared using a systems analysis approach. We are particularly interested in projects in the areas of sustainable food processing, recycling of by-products and waste streams, and energy- and resource-efficient process innovations.

At the Institute of Jülich System Analysis (ICE-2) within the Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany), we work on systems analysis topics within the “Ressource Strategies” department. An essential part of our research is the development of scenarios for the use of renewable and scarce resources, which we model both in connection with the energy system and as independent resource systems. This enables us to analyze resource availability, spatial potential, consumption structures, and optimization opportunities in detail. Our work operates at the interface between renewable technologies, regionally resolved resource flows, and system efficiencies. The institute has experience in national and international research projects and in collaborating with technology developers, industry partners, and political actors.