Master's degree programme Forestry System Transformation (FST) (M.Sc.)

​​​​​​​In the era of bioeconomy and “green growth”, it concerns expanding the product portfolio as well as the production of wood. The focus in terms of cultivation should be placed specifically on such forest ecosystem goods and services that have not been previously valued by the markets: the forest’s protection and control functions as well as its recreation and health function.

The ecosystem functions and services, such as biodiversity protection and climate protection, protection against avalanches, keeping air and water clean, and also the aesthetic and health-promoting benefits of the forest, are recorded and analysed from a strong socio-economic and innovative perspective so that they can be fed into political and economic decision making processes from the company level to international political agenda setting. Throughout the programme, from scientific discussions, political debates, studies of new market systems and premises to the student’s own practical transformation project, the students are exposed to strategies to promote innovations from new wood products to political transformation processes.

Objectives of the degree programme:

The students shall develop an understanding of the impact of the changing conditions and changing use of forest resources on forest ecosystems, ecosystem goods and services (EG&S) and the connected value-added chain.

By developing solutions, for example how conflicts of use in (forestry) practice can be dealt with, graduates are given the skills to recognise such and other trends, to initiate processes of change, to critically examine, to monitor and to actively participate. Chances and limitations of market, state and network-based solution strategies for forestry and environmental governance are covered in detail.

Content of the degree programme:

The following four topics form the focus of the interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary FST degree programme:

1. New approaches to the management of forests (in terms of planning, IT implementation, technical-logistics and silviculture)
2. Economic approaches to the cultivation of forests and their different forest ecosystem goods and services (incl. alternative economic business models)
3. Governance and political management (organisation of / through institutions, strategies and instruments for governance)
4. Innovations and potential (new business / cooperation / administrative models and forms of finance, and similarly the processes and structures of innovation).