Andreas Mayer

Dr. Andreas Mayer is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Social Ecology within the Department of Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU). With a Mag. in Social and Human Ecology from Alpen-Adria University (2009) and a BA in Sociology from the University of Vienna (2002-2006), he has established himself as a leading researcher in social-ecological systems. His career includes serving as a Research Fellow at ICTA, UAB in Barcelona (2014) and transitioning with the Institute of Social Ecology to BOKU in 2018 after previously working there as a Research Associate from 2009-2018.

Dr. Mayer's research focuses on the complex interactions between society and nature, with particular expertise in social metabolism, agent-based modeling, socio-economic biomass metabolism, circular economy approaches, and integrated land use scenarios. His work bridges theoretical frameworks from ecological economics and political ecology with empirical analyses of sustainability transitions. He investigates how socio-ecological systems respond to climate change, resource constraints, and policy interventions, with special attention to agricultural systems, bioeconomy pathways, and urban-rural linkages.

His extensive publication record demonstrates a strong trajectory in analyzing sustainability transformations across multiple scales, from local farming decisions to EU-level policy frameworks. Recent work shows increasing integration of biophysical modeling with social theory, particularly Polanyian concepts of re-embedding economic systems within ecological constraints. His research often employs mixed methods, combining quantitative material flow analysis with qualitative insights into decision-making processes.

• Stadt Wien-BOKU Research Funding Programm (BOKU Jubiläumsfonds): PACE - Pathways towards a circular bioeconomy in Vienna (2023)
• Best Paper Award for the year 2020 of the Journal 'Resources, Conservation & Recycling' (2021)
• 2019 Graedel Prize: Journal of Industrial Ecology (JIE) Senior Author Best Paper Prize (2020)

Dr. Mayer actively supervises graduate students, with his most recent advisee completing research on global aquaculture feed requirements. He leads multiple significant research projects including 'Potentiale für eine klimaneutrale und zirkuläre Bioökonomie in der Wiener Metropolregion' (2023-2025) and previously led 'Multisectoral Analysis of climate and landuse change impacts on Pollinators, Plant diversity and crop Yields' (2019-2023). His work frequently involves international collaborations across European research networks focused on sustainability transitions.

Based at BOKU's Institute for Social Ecology in Vienna, Dr. Mayer contributes to one of Europe's leading research centers examining the social dimensions of environmental change, participating in interdisciplinary teams that integrate natural science, social science, and policy analysis approaches to address pressing sustainability challenges.