About the role
Background
The electrification of construction machinery is considered a key lever for decarbonizing the construction sector, yet its broad market pene-tration has so far failed to materialize despite increasing technical maturity. Existing studies mostly describe adoption barriers for battery-electric construction machinery (BECM) de-scriptively, without grounding them in an ac-ceptance or diffusion model – why barriers arise, how they relate to one another, and how they influence adoption remains open. Related technologies such as electric vehicle fleets or battery-electric agricultural machinery have already been studied using individual ac-ceptance theories, but these findings have not yet been systematically reviewed for the BECM context.
Objective
The objective of this thesis is to identify rele-vant acceptance and adoption theories (indi-vidual, organizational, institutional, economic level) through a literature review and charac-terize them using transparent criteria – such as origin context, core constructs, and prior application requirements. It then examines how these theories have already been applied to structurally related technologies such as electric vehicle fleets or battery-electric agri-cultural machinery, in order to assess which explanatory mechanisms transfer to the BECM context. Building on this, the suitable theories are combined into an integrated ex-planatory model that does more than name BECM adoption barriers. It theoretically grounds their origin, their interplay, and their influence on the adoption decision.
Work packages
- Literature review of acceptance and adoption theories by level of analysis
- Develop assessment criteria and re-view application to related technolo-gies (EV fleets, battery-electric agricul-tural machinery, etc.)
- Assess theory suitability for the BECM context
- Synthesize an integrated explanatory model/framework for BECM adoption barriers
- Compare the framework against a small number of practitioner interviews
Requirements
- Enrollment in a technical, engineering, or business/economics program
- Interest in sustainable construction processes and technology acceptance research
- Structured, independent literature work and conceptual model development
- Independent and structured working style
- Good German and/or English language skills
Contact
Alexandre Bedrikow, M.Sc.
+49 89 289 15994
Room MW 0509
alexandre.bedrikow@tum.de
How to apply
Send CV + transcript to the email above.