Upcoming PhD Defense: Sebastian Leavy Presents Innovative Framework for Holistic Bioeconomy Measurement
The Research Group on Bioeconomy Applied to Agribusiness (NEB-Agro) is pleased to announce the upcoming doctoral thesis defense of Sebastian Leavy, a PhD candidate in the Agribusiness Graduate Program at the Center for Studies and Research in Agribusiness (CEPAN) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Having joined the program in 2022, Mr. Leavy is concluding his doctoral studies under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Edson Talamini, with research aligned to NEB-Agro’s focus on applied bioeconomy in agribusiness.
The thesis, titled “Advancing Holistic Measurement of the Bioeconomy: Proposing the Cyber-Bio-Physical-Social System Framework,” addresses critical challenges in quantifying the bioeconomy’s contributions to sustainable development. It proposes an integrated framework that bridges conceptual fragmentation, real-time data scarcity, and the integration of biophysical, digital, and social dimensions. Through literature reviews, bibliometric analyses, and empirical applications, such as forest carbon accounting using machine learning and emergy valuations, the work demonstrates how digital technologies like AI, IoT, and blockchain can enhance adaptive assessments. This approach not only reduces uncertainties in bioeconomy metrics but also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, fostering biodigital convergence for improved governance amid climate challenges. The framework reveals significant gaps in traditional valuations, estimating holistic emergy values for global forest sinks that exceed market metrics by over 3,600%, underscoring the need for comprehensive, systems-based evaluations.
The bioeconomy, which encompasses sustainable production from biological resources, plays a pivotal role in transitioning to low-carbon economies, particularly in agribusiness sectors like forestry and biotechnology. Mr. Leavy’s research contributes valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders by enabling scalable, real-time monitoring that supports equitable and resilient development. This is especially relevant in the context of global efforts to combat climate change, where accurate measurement of bioeconomic impacts can inform strategies for carbon sequestration, biodiversity preservation, and economic innovation.
The public defense will take place online on March 6, 2026, starting at 2:00 PM (Brasília Time). The examining committee includes Prof. Dr. Antonio Domingos Padula (UFRGS), Prof. Dr. Sandro da Silva Camargo (Unipampa), and Prof. Dr. Feni Agostinho (UNIP). Interested parties are invited to attend via the following link: https://mconf.ufrgs.br/webconf/defesa-de-tese-sebastian-leavy.
NEB-Agro encourages participation from the academic community and the public to engage with this forward-thinking research. For more information on NEB-Agro’s initiatives in bioeconomy studies, please visit our website.
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