Dr. Michael Kreß-Ludwig

Michael Kreß-Ludwig has been a research scientist at ISOE since 2018 and has been head of the research unit Transdisciplinarity since April 2023. Before, he worked at the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) and the Centre for Renewable Energies (ZEE) at the University of Freiburg on various transdisciplinary sustainability research projects. Michael Kreß-Ludwig studied sociology, psychology and ethnology at the University of Heidelberg and completed his doctorate at the University of Freiburg on civic involvement in the energy system transformation.

ResearchGate

Focus of research

Transdisciplinarity and knowledge transfer
Participation in sustainability processes
Environmental awareness and behaviour
Empirical methods of social research

Publications

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Brietzke, Anna, Engelbert Schramm, Katharina Heß, Diana Hummel, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Deike Lüdtke (2025): A social-ecological approach to local forest conflict analysis and shaping. Forest Policy and Economics 172, 103408. DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103408
Kreß-Ludwig, Michael (2024): Konflikte um den Wald der Zukunft: Wie Runde Tische und Mediation zu Lösungen beitragen
Kreß-Ludwig, Michael, Oskar Marg, Rieke Schneider, Alexandra Lux (2024): Lessons from transdisciplinary urban research to promote sustainability transformation in real-world labs. Categories, pathways, and key principles for generating societal impact. GAIA S1, 10–17
Theiler, Lena, Alexandra Lux, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Flurina Schneider (2024): Schlüsselkonzepte und Umsetzung transdisziplinärer Forschung. Forschung 17 (1+2), 3–8
Lux, Alexandra, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Flurina Schneider (2024): Transdisciplinary Research Process. Elgar Encyclopedias in the Social Sciences series. Edward Elgar Publishing, 553–557
Moser, Stephanie, Martina Schäfer, Emilia Nagy, Oskar Marg, Michael Kreß-Ludwig (2024): Transdisziplinäre und transformative Forschung auf dem Weg zur Entfaltung gesellschaftlicher Wirkungen
Kreß-Ludwig, Michael, Rieke Schneider, Elena Maria Troia, Oskar Marg, Alexandra Lux, Lothar Gröschel (2024): Wie Zukunftsstadtforschung wirkt: Produktiv. Nachhaltig. Lebendig. Grüne Finger für eine klimaresiliente Stadt. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13628898
Theiler, Lena, Oskar Marg, Michael Kreß-Ludwig (2021): Transdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit als Reaktion auf sozial-ökologische Krisen - das Beispiel der Corona-Pandemie
Marg, Oskar, Elena Maria Troia, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Alexandra Lux (2021): Vorgehensweisen und Rahmenbedingungen zur Erzeugung gesellschaftlicher Wirkungen in transdisziplinären Forschungsprojekten. Eine vertiefende Fallstudie anhand des Projekts MobilBericht. Berlin/Frankfurt: SynVer*Z - Synthese- und Vernetzungsprojekt Zukunftsstadt. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7583937
Libbe, Jens, Lena Bendlin, Robert Riechel, Annika Maretzki, Julia Krebs, Alexandra Lux, Oskar Marg, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Lothar Gröschel, Nadine Baethke, Daniel Wieczorek, Lena Heller (2021): Wie leben wir morgen. Forschungsimpulse für eine nachhaltige Stadt. Berlin/Frankfurt: SynVer*Z
Marg, Oskar, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Alexandra Lux (2019): Wirkungen transdisziplinärer Stadtforschung in den Projekten der Förderlinien 'Leitinitiative Zukunftsstadt' und 'Nachhaltige Transformation urbaner Räume'. Wirkungskategorien, Projektprofile und Handreichung zur Selbstreflexion. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13628966

Current Publications

A social-ecological approach to local forest conflict analysis and shaping

Forest Policy and Economics

A social-ecological approach to local forest conflict analysis and shaping

Anna Brietzke et al.

2025
Available online
Konflikte um den Wald der Zukunft: Wie Runde Tische und Mediation zu Lösungen beitragen

ISOE Blog Soziale Ökologie. Krise - Kritik - Gestaltung

Konflikte um den Wald der Zukunft: Wie Runde Tische und Mediation zu Lösungen beitragen

Michael Kreß-Ludwig

2024
Available online
Lessons from transdisciplinary urban research to promote sustainability transformation in real-world labs. Categories, pathways, and key principles for generating societal impact

GAIA

Lessons from transdisciplinary urban research to promote sustainability transformation in real-world labs. Categories, pathways, and key principles for generating societal impact

Michael Kreß-Ludwig et al.

2024
Available online
Schlüsselkonzepte und Umsetzung transdisziplinärer Forschung

Forschung

Schlüsselkonzepte und Umsetzung transdisziplinärer Forschung

Lena Theiler et al.

2024
Available online
Transdisciplinary Research Process

Elgar Encyclopedias in the Social Sciences series

Transdisciplinary Research Process

Alexandra Lux, Michael Kreß-Ludwig, Flurina Schneider

2024
Available online

Projects

GeisTreich – Geisenheim Transfer Program for Biodiverse and Multifunctional Viticulture

Biodiversity Land Use Knowledge and Participation

GeisTreich – Geisenheim Transfer Program for Biodiverse and Multifunctional Viticulture

Using new and innovative knowledge transfer formats, the project is developing sustainable solution strategies for a system change in viticulture in the Rheingau and its species-rich cultural landscape.
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Conflicts over the forest of the future

Biodiversity Climate Adaptation Knowledge and Participation

Conflicts over the forest of the future

Forest conversion to mixed forest is intended to ensure the sustainability of forests threatened by climate change. Conflicts over their use are dealt with and negotiated in the “Forest of the Future” project through dialog formats such as round tables.
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AquaticPollutantsTransNet – Knowledge transfer for the reduction of pollutants and pathogens in the water cycle

Water Chemical Risks

AquaticPollutantsTransNet – Knowledge transfer for the reduction of pollutants and pathogens in the water cycle

The project supports the transfer of knowledge from 18 EU-funded projects on water pollutants and pathogens to the public and administrative sector, politics, industry and business.
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Platform tdAcademy for transdisciplinary research and studies

Knowledge and Participation

Platform tdAcademy for transdisciplinary research and studies

The tdAcademy platform promotes transdisciplinary research by generating knowledge for its effective design, evaluating new methods and formats and offering an international fellowship program.
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SynVer*Z – Effectiveness of research on the sustainable transformation of cities

Transformation

SynVer*Z – Effectiveness of research on the sustainable transformation of cities

To increase its impact potential, the SynVer*Z synthesis and networking project is supporting almost 50 research projects dealing with the transformation of cities towards sustainability.
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s:ne – System Innovation for Sustainable Development

Knowledge and Participation Transformation

s:ne – System Innovation for Sustainable Development

The central element of the s:ne transfer project is an innovation and transformation platform (ITP), which aims to facilitate cooperation with political, social and economic players as well as research institutions in the region.
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Environmental awareness in Germany 2020

Sufficiency

Environmental awareness in Germany 2020

In a qualitative study, ISOE maps perceptions and attitudes in society towards climate change and climate protection.
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Cognitive integration through artificial intelligence in transdisciplinary sustainability research

Knowledge and Participation

Cognitive integration through artificial intelligence in transdisciplinary sustainability research

The pilot project investigates the potential of current developments in the field of artificial intelligence (especially machine learning) to support knowledge integration in research practice.
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Societal impacts of research institutions: ARL Effectiveness Study

Knowledge and Participation

Societal impacts of research institutions: ARL Effectiveness Study

The ARL – Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association works in an inter- and transdisciplinary manner. Our study highlights the added value of this approach.
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Cognitive integration and innovation

Knowledge and Participation

Cognitive integration and innovation

The aim of the project is to dynamically integrate current advances in socio-ecological research in relevant scientific fields.
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Team

Focus of research

Publications

Current Publications

A social-ecological approach to local forest conflict analysis and shaping

Konflikte um den Wald der Zukunft: Wie Runde Tische und Mediation zu Lösungen beitragen

Lessons from transdisciplinary urban research to promote sustainability transformation in real-world labs. Categories, pathways, and key principles for generating societal impact

Schlüsselkonzepte und Umsetzung transdisziplinärer Forschung

Transdisciplinary Research Process

Projects

GeisTreich – Geisenheim Transfer Program for Biodiverse and Multifunctional Viticulture

Conflicts over the forest of the future

AquaticPollutantsTransNet – Knowledge transfer for the reduction of pollutants and pathogens in the water cycle

Platform tdAcademy for transdisciplinary research and studies

SynVer*Z – Effectiveness of research on the sustainable transformation of cities

s:ne – System Innovation for Sustainable Development

Environmental awareness in Germany 2020

Cognitive integration through artificial intelligence in transdisciplinary sustainability research

Societal impacts of research institutions: ARL Effectiveness Study

Cognitive integration and innovation