A book on applications of systems thinking in

Swedish Research 1980 – 2000

Result of a project funded by Formas – the

Swedish National Member Organization of IIASA

Gunnar SjöstedtSwedish Institute of International Affairs (UI)P.O. Box 27035SE-102 51 Stockholm, Swedensjostedt@ui.sewww.ui.se

Mats-Olov OlssonCentre for Regional Science (Cerum) Umeå UniversitySE-901 87 Umeå, SwedenMats-Olov.Olsson@cerum.umu.sewww.umu.se/cerum

Edited by:

Short Project OverviewShort Project Overview

InitiativeInitiative

ObjectivesObjectives

ProcessProcess

ProductProduct

ContentsContents

The Current Project

1999: Initiative by Dr. Gunnar Sjöstedt (member of the Swedish IIASA committee) to make an inventory of Swedish systems related research in the period 1980–2000.

2000: Project established. Series of seminars started.

2001: Authoring and editing of chapter contributions.

2002: Publication contract was negotiated with Kluwer Academic Publishers.

2003: Technical editing of the book manuscript.

2004: The book was published (late September).

In

itiativeIn

itiativeBackground

1972: The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) was established.

1976: Sweden became a member of IIASA.

1981: Per Molander’s report Systemanalys i Sverige (Systems Analysis in Sweden) was published.

The project should be seen as a follow-up on Per Molander’sreport Systems Analysis in Sweden published in 1981.

Three major objectives of the report emerged in discussionsamong members of the Swedish IIASA committee:

1. To make an overview of various applications of systems thinking in Sweden to be used for a discussion about future developments and decisions on efficient research support.

2. To give a general historical overview of systems thinking in different fields of application and identify promising development trends.

3. To indicate the relation to IIASA and international tendencies in systems thinking in order to provide a foundation for an assessment of Swedish systems research efforts related to IIASA’s activities and how these could be developed as part of a Swedish strategy in the field.

O

bjectives

Ob

jectives

Ten seminars with Swedish scientists currently or previously engaged in studies employing a systems approach were conducted in the period February 2000 through November 2001.

Seminar speakers were invited to contribute chapters to an anthology to be published with an international publishing house.

Additional contributions were solicited among well-known Swedish scientists using a systems approach in their research.

Some coordination among the contributors was achieved through a seminar with the authors in late 2001.

P

rocess

Pro

cess

P

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uct

Pro

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ct

The book was published in 2004 by Kluwer Academic Publishers. ISBN 1-4020-2369-3 (HB)

The project resulted in

an anthology containing an

Introduction and 16 chapters

contributed by 22 authors.

Project Outcome

Preface, Editors’ Preface, Introduction

Part I: The Systems Approach: History and Schools of Thinking Chapters 1–2

Part II: Systems Analysis in Sweden – Examples of Projects Using a Systems Approach

Part II-A: A Systems Approach for Better TheoryChapters 3–6

Part II-B: Systems Analysis for Better PracticeChapters 7–13

Part II-C: Systems Thinking for Better Design and Construction Chapters 14–15

Part III: Development Trends, Future Prospects and NeedsChapter 16

1. Systems and Systems Theory by Mats-Olov Olsson and Gunnar Sjöstedt

2. Schools of Systems Thinking — Development Trends in Systems Methodology by Mats-Olov Olsson

Part II-A: A systems Approach for Better Theory   

3. Systems Analysis in Geography by Stefan Anderberg

4. Multi-Agent Systems, Time Geography, and Microsimulations by Magnus Boman and Einar Holm

5. Analyzing Biological Systems: the Brain as an Example by Hans Liljenström and Peter Århem

6. Defining the Concept of Sustainability — a Matter of Systems Thinking and Applied Systems Analysis by Harald Sverdrup and Mats G.E. Svensson

Part II-B: Systems Analysis for Better Practice

7. Scenario-Based Methodologies for Strategy Development and Management of Change by E. Anders Eriksson

8. "Sweden in the Year 2021" — a Systems Study of Sweden's Future Environment by Anita Linell

  9. Environmental Accounts — A Tool for Interdisciplinary Analysis by Sofia Ahlroth

10. Environmental Systems Analysis — Some Ongoing Research and Ideas about Future Developments by Anna Björklund

11. Some Properties of Environmental Systems Analysis Tools — Life Cycle Assessment as an Example by Göran Finnveden, Tomas Ekvall and Åsa Moberg

12. Systems Approaches in Development Work by Semida Silveira

13. The Systems Approach in Research on International Relations: The WTO Negotiations by Gunnar Sjöstedt

Part II-C:  Systems Thinking for Better Design and Construction

14. Humans and Complex Systems: Sustainable Information Societies by Rune Gustavsson and Martin Fredriksson

15. Large Technical Systems: a Multidisciplinary Research Tradition by Lena Ewertsson and Lars Ingelstam16. Systemic Interventions in Sweden: Some Discernible Patterns

by Mats-Olov Olsson and Gunnar Sjöstedt

C

on

tents

Co

nten

tsPreface by Lisa Sennerby Forsse and Uno Svedin

Editors' Preface by Mats-Olov Olsson and Gunnar Sjöstedt

Introduction by Uno Svedin

The End

This presentation was prepared by:

Mats-Olov OlssonCentre for Regional Science (Cerum) Umeå UniversitySE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Mats-Olov.Olsson@cerum.umu.sewww.umu.se/cerum

To order the book go to:

http://www.springeronline.com

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is a non-governmental research organization located near Vienna, Austria. The institute conducts inter-disciplinary scientific studies on environmental, economic, technological and social issues in the context of human dimensions of global change. It is sponsored by its National Member Organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.IIASA researchers study environmental, economic, technological, and social developments. In doing so, theygenerate methods and tools useful to both decision makers and the scientific community. The work is based on original state-of-the-art methodology and analytical approaches and links a variety of natural and social science disciplines.

Since IIASA’S inception in 1972, it has been the site of successful international scientific collaboration in addressing areas of concern for all advanced societies, such as energy, water, environment, risk and human settlement.

Now, after over three decades of valuable contributions to science and policy, IIASA continues as a reputed center for innovative research, international interdisciplinary collaboration, conferences and workshops, and networking among scientists around the world.Because of its non-governmental status, IIASA is independent and can provide non-political and unbiased perspectives. This neutrality and impartiality is particularly valued by those who utilize the institute's research findings.

IIASA is sponsored by scientific National Member Organizations in nations from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Each NMO nominates one representative to IIASA's executive council, which generally oversees the institute's development.

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

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Ten seminars1. Systems Analysis in Sweden after 1980, 18 February 2000, FRN, Stockholm. Speaker: Per Molander.

2. Sweden in the Year 2021, 27 April 2000, FRN (Hasselbacken), Stockholm. Speaker: Anita Linell.

3. Writing a Book on Systems Analysis, Its History and Development, 9 June 2000, FRN, Stockholm. Speaker: Lars Ingelstam.

4. The Brain as a Complex System, 18 October 2000, FRN, Stockholm. Speaker: Peter Århem.

5–7. Systems Analysis and Swedish Environmental Research – Material Flow and Life Cycle Analysis, Indicators of Sustainable Development, 31 January 2001 (whole day), The Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI), Stockholm. Speakers: Anna Björklund, Tomas Ekvall, Göran Finnveden and Sofia Ahlroth.

8. Human Beings and Smart Systems in Collaboration, 6 June 2001, Ronneby. Speakers: Jeremy Pitt and Rune Gustavsson.

9. The Individual and the Totality, 22 August 2001, Sigtuna. Speakers: Hans Liljenström, Leif Gustafsson and Fredrik Liljeros.

10. Systems Analysis in Sweden at the Turn of the Century, 7 November 2001, The Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI), Stockholm. Speakers: Magnus Boman, E. Anders Eriksson, Göran Finnveden, Sverker Högberg, Lars Ingelstam, Anders Karlqvist, Hans Liljenström, Lars-Göran Mattsson, Mats-Olov Olsson, Semida Silveira, Gunnar Sjöstedt, Uno Svedin.

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