Sebastian Luckeneder (visiting student of doctorate degree) experience in PPGEP-UFMG

In early 2023, I traded the routine of my PhD life in Austria for a few unforgettable months in Brazil. From February to April, I had the chance to work as a visiting researcher at the Department of Production Engineering at UFMG, hosted by Dr. Richard van der Hoff. My research stay took place in the context of my dissertation, which focused on the environmental and socioeconomic effects of mining activities – studied through the lens of spatial data analysis.

Why Brazil? And why leave the comforts of my usual research setup to go halfway across the world? Quite simply: The idea of studying and writing about mining from a desk in Austria felt too abstract. I needed to be in the field – to see the landscapes affected, to speak with local researchers, and to better understand the context behind the numbers. When a Brazilian colleague in Austria introduced me to researchers at UFMG, everything fell into place. I am still grateful it did.

A Rich Exchange – At the Department and in the Hills of Minas Gerais

I look back on those three months with real joy. The atmosphere at UFMG’s Department of Production Engineering was both focused and inspiring – an ideal place to dive deeper into my thesis. I had space to think and write, but also constant exchange with colleagues who offered valuable perspectives and were genuinely curious about my work. With Richard, I found not only a generous host, but also someone who shared an interest in the political economy and dynamics of natural resource use and its impacts. A key chapter of my dissertation took shape during this stay, and it did so through ongoing conversations, spontaneous feedback sessions, and regular encouragement. UFMG’s strong interdisciplinary spirit made the experience even more enriching. I shared my work with researchers from other departments, including mining engineering and remote sensing, and appreciated the thoughtful input from students and staff.

And then there were the mine visits. Through contacts at UFMG, I was fortunate to join field trips to several industrial mining sites across Minas Gerais. These were structured, full-day field visits that offered an up-close view of the operational scale and environmental footprint of large-scale mining. For someone used to working with satellite imagery and statistical models, standing on the edge of a massive open-pit mine was a transformative experience. It helped me understand the limitations of my data – and the necessity of putting it into context.

Outside of work, Belo Horizonte won me over completely. I made close friends, enjoyed long nights in lively bars, tried more kinds of “pão de queijo” than I can remember, and joined in the city’s Carnival celebrations. I even caught a few football matches, and spent weekends hiking in the stunning nature around the city. And still I left with the feeling that I had only just scratched the surface. I really hope to return some day.

Tracing the Effects of Mining: A Spatial Perspective on Global Resource Use.

The main focus of my work is to understand how mining activities shape both environments and societies – locally, regionally, and globally. To do so, I rely heavily on spatial data: satellite-derived maps of land use, datasets on mining concessions, and geolocated economic indicators. I combine these with concepts from ecological economics and industrial ecology.
My thesis, which I advanced significantly during my stay at UFMG, centres on three main strands of research:

1. Contextual risks of mining expansion – I looked at where mining is increasingly encroaching on vulnerable ecosystems, such as tropical forests or areas of high biodiversity. This part of my work maps out the growing tensions between material extraction and environmental limits.

2. Mining in Brazil: Forest loss and economic development – Drawing on Brazil as a case study, I examined how mining activities correlate with regional changes in forest cover and local economic indicators. My stay in Minas Gerais was especially valuable for this part, adding real-world texture to the models I was building.

3. Global supply chains and environmental footprints – In a third project, I traced the deforestation caused by mining along global supply chains, linking local environmental damage to the consumption patterns of industries and households in the European Union.

Some of these findings are already published or forthcoming in journals such as Global Environmental Change and Nature Communications. A working paper version of my third study is also available online, and I have contributed to broader collaborative efforts to map mining’s global land footprint and quantify its role in tropical deforestation. If you are curious, I invite you to explore more of my work, including a full copy of my thesis, on my personal website. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you are working on related topics!

A Fantastic Opportunity at Any Stage of an Academic Career: Spending time at UFMG allowed me to step out of my usual academic setting and engage directly with the realities behind my research. It was an opportunity not only to deepen my understanding of mining and its local contexts, but also to build new connections and broaden my perspective.

I am grateful to everyone who made this stay possible – especially Richard and the colleagues at UFMG, as well as the many people I met along the way. I would also like to thank OeAD-GmbH for supporting the research stay through the Marietta Blau Grant (MPC-2022-02358). Experiences like this shape how we think, work, and collaborate. They remind us that research does not happen in isolation, but as part of a wider, shared effort to make sense of the complex challenges facing our world today.