The PhD project is part of the Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society project 'SCALINGS - Scaling up Co-creation: Avenues and Limits for Integrating Society in Science and Innovation'. This is a joint program of the Philosophy and Ethics group at TU/e, together with 8 other universities across Europe as Technical University Munich, Technical University Denmark, Mines Paris Tech, ESADE Spain and University College London.

Please note that we also offer another PhD in the same project: 'Value Sensitive Design and Living Labs on Robotics and Energy Transitions'.

General description

Co-creation practice - and co-creation research - are at a crossroads: More than ever, initiatives to boost innovation through collaboration among diverse actors are flourishing across Europe. Yet, this mainstreaming poses new challenges to better understand 'co-creation processes and outcomes under various cultural, societal and regulatory backgrounds to allow better-targeted policy support' (SwafS-13-17). To date, no systematic studies exist that detail how co-creation instruments operate under different socio-cultural conditions, i.e. if 'best practices' will be effective elsewhere or if the resulting products and services are compatible with new markets.

SCALINGS addresses the challenge of mainstreaming co-creation across a diverse Europe head-on: In the first ever rigorous comparative study, we will investigate the implementation, uptake, and outcomes of three co-creation instruments (public procurement of innovation, co-creation facilities, and living labs) in two technical domains (robotics and urban energy) across 10 countries. Using comparative case studies and coordinated cross-country experiments, we explore if and how these instruments can be generalized, transferred, or scaled up to new socio-cultural, economic, or institutional conditions to unleash their innovative power.

Based on this unique data set, we will develop two new transformative frameworks - 'situated co-creation' and 'socially robust scaling' - to guide the wider dissemination of co-creation. We will synthesize our findings into an 'EU Policy Roadmap' to support ongoing EU innovation policy efforts. Empirically, SCALINGS is closely integrated with over two dozen European co-creation initiatives that deal with cross-cultural transferability on a daily basis. Together with these partners, we will co-create enhanced practices that feed directly back into their work and strategy. Finally, we will launch a training program (boot camp) on co-creation in diverse settings for other EU consortia.

A more detailed description of the TU/e's part in the research program is available upon request.

Philosophy and Ethics PhD project

The PhD project Value Sensitive Design in Innovative Procurement and Co-Creation Facilities in Energy Transitions focuses, among other things, on the following questions:

1. How can co-creation be understood in the light of Value Sensitive Design?
2. How should typical challenges of value sensitive design (different roles of stakeholders, universality of values, ethical commitments of methodology, measurement of values, …) be treated in a project on co-creation and responsible research and innovation.
3. Which socio-economic conditions are supportive for co-creation facilities and innovative procurement in the energy domain?
4. How can the local co-creation facilities and innovative procurement methods be generalized, transferred, or scaled up to new socio-cultural, economic, or institutional conditions?

There will be with a joint supervisory team from the Philosophy & Ethicsgroup at TU Eindhoven but you will work in close collaboration with researchers from other universities involved in the project.

For more information on the Philosophy and Ethics group please see the website p-e.ieis.tue.nl/.

You hold a Master's degree or equivalent degree in Innovation Sciences, Industrial Design, Philosophy or Ethics. Other Master's degrees will also be considered if the candidate shows a demonstrable interest in the themes of the research: value sensitive design, innovation, participation, innovative procurement, co-creation facilities, and descriptive and normative issues in the energy domain. You are interested in qualitative and quantitative methods and in dissemination via practioners or policy workshops.

You have respect for and are able to interact with clients, set up collaboration, and manage projects.

You have a good English skills. If you happen to speak or understand one of the languages of the project partners (Danish, Polish, German, Spanish), this will be considered as an added value.

The TU/e is an equal opportunity employer. Members of under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

We offer you a four-year Ph.D. position, starting May 1 (or soon thereafter), 2018. The gross salary is €2222 per month in the first year to €2840 per month in the last year. Additionally, Eindhoven University of Technology provides excellent facilities for professional and personal development, a holiday allowance (amounting to 8% of the annual salary), an end-of-year bonus (amounting to 8.3%), and a number of additional benefits.