Systems Thinking and Modelling in Socio-Economic Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Socioeconomic systems are complex, adaptive, and multi-layered, shaped by the continuous interactions of economic, technological, social, institutional, and environmental factors. They are characterized by nonlinear dynamics, feedback loops, path dependence, and emergent behavior, which traditional linear methods often fail to adequately reflect. Therefore, the explanatory and predictive power of conventional models, when faced with rapidly changing challenges, is limited.

This Special Issue aims to develop theoretical, methodological, and practical understanding of systems thinking and modeling in the study of socioeconomic phenomena. We invite papers that not only strengthen the conceptual foundations of systems approaches but also apply them to solving current problems such as sustainable economic changes, resilience to systemic shocks, technological innovations, social inequality, and environmental sustainability. Methodological innovations such as system dynamics modeling, agent-based models, network analysis, or systems analysis enriched with artificial intelligence are of particular importance.

As the scale and complexity of human-made systems increase, the ability to understand their emergent properties and dynamic interactions becomes increasingly important. In this context, systems thinking becomes the basis not only for analysis but also for decision-making. This Special Issue aims to promote the integration of systems science, engineering, and dynamics, and an interdisciplinary dialogue between economics, political science, environmental science, and complexity research. In this way, we hope to contribute to a holistic scientific paradigm that can support reliable analysis, innovative policies, and sustainable development of socio-economic systems.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

- System dynamics and agent-based modeling of regional development;

- Cognitive mapping and feedback loops in transformational change;

- Path dependence and nonlinear dynamics in regional transformations;

- Institutional interactions in multi-layered socio-economic systems;

- Sustainability transitions: linking innovation and systemic change;

- Policy design through systems thinking: the case of regional development;

- Decision-making in complex systems: from local innovations to national transformations;

- Systems-thinking methodologies for sustainable socio-economic development;

- Modeling resilience, adaptation, and transformation in socio-economic systems;

- Agent-based, system dynamics, and hybrid modeling methods;

- Policy-making, assessment, and forecasting through systems modeling;

- Application of complexity science and governance of socio-economic systems;

- Interdependence of economic, social, technological, and environmental subsystems;

- Digital transformation, smart economy, and their systemic impact;

- Scenario creation, forecasting, and long-term socio-economic planning;

- Integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence with systems thinking and modeling;

- Data-driven and big data methods in socio-economic systems analysis;

- Network science and interconnection in socio-economic and technological systems;

- Systemic risk assessment and early warning indicators in a socio-economic context;

- Systemic thinking in the context of climate change, energy transition, and sustainable innovation;

- Cognitive, organizational, and cultural aspects of systems thinking in politics and governance;

- Ethical, governance, and responsibility innovation in systemic socio-economic transformations.

Prof. Dr. Laima Okunevičiūtė Neverauskienė
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.