Wissenschaftsräume

Project description

An inter- and transdisciplinary scientific space for research into regulatory and technological transformation processes

Global value chains (GVCs) are at the center of current scientific and political debates on sustainability, justice and global responsibility. The ecological and social consequences of extractive and agricultural production methods - especially in countries of the Global South - require new forms of regulation and control that go beyond voluntary market mechanisms.

Against this background, the proposed research area "Sustainability Governance of Global Value Chains" or GO-Chains, led by Leuphana University Lüneburg in cooperation with Osnabrück University, Oldenburg University and the GIGA Hamburg, aims to systematically research and further develop governance mechanisms for global supply chains. The focus is on the question of how regulatory measures, company-related sustainability management and technological innovations, in particular digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), can contribute to the promotion of sustainable transformations.

Research perspective and objectives

The research area addresses the complex interactions between state regulation (public governance), private sector management (corporate governance) and socio-economic conditions in production countries in the Global South. The aim is to analyze the effects, potentials and limits of current governance instruments such as the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) or the planned EU Supply Chain Directive.

The project pursues three central research axes:

1. Governance designs and their institutional preconditions in multi-level constellations,
2. corporate adaptation processes in the areas of sustainability reporting, risk assessment and information systems,
3. region-specific effects in production countries - particularly with regard to human rights, environmental impacts and development opportunities.

An innovative focus of the project is the investigation of socio-technical solutions for the optimization of sustainability governance in GVCs. In particular, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven information systems will be analyzed. The aim is to explore how digital technologies can

• automate the fulfillment of statutory reporting obligations,
• improve the traceability and transparency of supply chains,
• identify and assess risks in real time,
• and provide data-based support for adaptive governance structures.

The project integrates design science research approaches to generate design-oriented knowledge about IT-supported control systems. In the context of growing regulatory requirements, the link between blockchain technology, AI applications and sustainability accounting will also be investigated empirically and conceptually.

In addition to gaining scientific knowledge, the Science Area also aims to network intensively with practitioners. The establishment of transdisciplinary communities in the fields of agriculture, the automotive industry and renewable energies promotes the bidirectional transfer of knowledge with companies, civil society and politics - including in the production countries of the Global South.