Sustainable Wood Supply Analysis

About this programme

This course is the final course before the master’s thesis in the Industrial Wood Supply Management programme. It brings together and deepens the knowledge developed in previous courses by synthesising core competences in wood supply management with advanced digital analysis methods. You work with forest-industrial supply systems as complex, integrated systems where raw material availability, industrial demand, sustainability and competitiveness interact. Through scenario development and modelling, you analyse how wood supply may evolve over time and how uncertainties such as climate change, policy shifts and market dynamics affect supply security. As the programme’s capstone course , the course is strongly application-oriented. In advanced case studies, you use digital tools and analytical methods to evaluate and design supply strategies for both existing and emerging industries. You train to make strategic decisions under uncertainty and to assess long-term sustainability and competitiveness. At the same time, you further develop key professional skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and professional communication. The course provides a systems-oriented and analytical perspective, forming a solid foundation for your master’s thesis and for advanced professional roles in forest-based raw material supply. The course can be completed entirely on distance. However, teaching takes place from the campus in Umeå, where infrastructure is provided for students who are physically present.