Tobias Luthe

As a transdisciplinary sustainability scientist with graduate trainings in forest and environmental sciences, wood technology and engineering, ecological economics and industrial ecology, in communication and didactics on sustainability , and a PhD on resilience of mountain systems at the interlink of environmental and sports sciences, I am interested in place-based human-environment relations and the transition to a more sustainable society – across disciplines, industry sectors and in various geographies.

My current research focuses on four interrelated themes:
1. resilience of complex social-ecological systems (SES) to global environmental change, i.e. alpine-urban and Arctic environments;
2. societal sustainability transitions and systemic innovation;
3. regenerative systems design, i.e. bio-inspired, nature-based solutions with circularities in the economy and multiple scales of SES, spanning from raw materials to products and buildings to land use and bio-regional economies;
4. real-world laboratory communication, experiential learning and behavioral change for sustainability.

Being trained in the natural and social sciences, and in engineering, I am used to combine, mix and integrate rigorous quantitative (network analysis, footprint accounting, choice experiments) and qualitative methods (co-creation, interviews, consultations, focus groups), as well as engineering design, prototyping and design thinking and doing.

CURRENT ACADEMIC POSITIONS

Politecnico Torino, Italy

03-08/2020 Visiting Professor for Systemic Regenerative Design. Department of Architecture and Design.

The Oslo School of Architecture and Design AHO, Norway

08/2019- Associate Professor for Systemic Regenerative Design and Innovation for Sustainability.

Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Switzerland

2018- Research Scientist in Resilience of Social-Ecological (Mountain) Systems. Institute for Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems. Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering.

University of Freiburg, Germany

2005- Visiting Professor. Interdisciplinary course “Sustainability Leadership Training”. Centre for Key Qualifications.

PAST ACADEMIC POSITIONS

Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Switzerland

2016-2018 Visiting Professor. Engineering Design and Computing Laboratory. BSc/MSc courses “Integrative Ski Building Workshop” and “Systemic Design for Sustainability”. Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering.

Università della Svizzera Italiana USI, Lugano, Switzerland

2016-2019 Visiting Professor. Institute for Economic Research. MSc courses “Resilience of Mountain Economies” and “Landscape Architecture”.

University of Applied Sciences Chur, Switzerland

Department “Living Environment” (Regional Economic Development, Architecture, Tourism).

2011-2018 Full Professor for Sustainability Science.

2012-2015 Director. Research Institute for Tourism and Leisure.

2009-2011 Senior Researcher and Senior Lecturer in sustainability science.

Université de Savoie, Chambéry, France

2008-2009 Postdoctoral Researcher, Institut de la Montagne. Interreg project “ClimAlpTour”.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & CAREER

2015- Co-founding director. The MonViso Institute, a real-world mountain laboratory for research, education and entrepreneurship in sustainability transformations and systemic design, situated in the Italian Piedmont Alps.

2008- Co-founder and systemic designer. Grown, Outdoor Creativity Lab. Regenerative design inspired by outdoor creativity. Essential outdoor tools, local adventures, co-creation community, science-industry partnerships.

2003-2008 Director of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability Manager of the German Ski Federation (DSV), Munich, Germany.

2003 Trainee in Sustainable Investment Research, Renewable Energies Invest. Private Bank Sarasin, Basel, Switzerland.

2002 Business consultant in the wood product industry. Applikatio Consultancy, Freiburg, Germany.

2001-2010 Systemic Co-Design of the Swall Institute, a sustainably designed work&play retreat in the high desert of California, owned by TED senior fellow Eric L. Berlow.

2000 Trainee in circular/blue economy at UNDP/ZERI (Zero Emissions Research Initiatives) Geneva, International Environment House and EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany.

1998-  Mountain Guide and Sports Teacher (leading mountaineering and expedition trips worldwide)

ACADEMIC EDUCATION

2005-2009 Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences, Institute for Outdoor Sports and Environmental Sciences, German Sport University DSHS Cologne, Germany. Advisors Prof. Dr. R. Roth and Prof. Dr. em. H. Elsasser (University of Zurich, Economic Geography). Dissertation (18.02.2009): Vulnerability to climate change and sustainable adaptation of Alpine tourism.

2002-2005 M. A. in Education and Communication on Sustainable Development, University of Rostock, Germany. Thesis: Sustainability Leadership Training: Development and Evaluation of a University teaching concept on sustainable development.

1999-2001 M. Sc. in Forest- and Environmental Sciences, Major Environmental Economics, specializing in life cycle design and the built environment, and in wood engineering. University of Freiburg, Germany. Thesis: Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of engineered timber products for the use in passive solar buildings (German Diplom).

1997-1999 B. Sc. in Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Germany (German Vordiplom).