PhD Industrial symbiosis and energy transition

The Faculty of Economics and Business offers an inspiring study and working environment for students and employees. International accreditation enables the Faculty to assess performance against the highest international standards. It also creates an exciting environment of continuous improvement. FEB's programmes, academic staff and research do well on various excellence ranking lists.

FEBRI, the graduate school and research institute of the Faculty of Economics and Business has available one PhD position in the field of Industrial symbiosis and energy transition.

What are you going to do?

Climate policy and the energy transition are forcing industrial companies to fundamentally reconsider their energy use, supply chains, and collaboration models. One promising approach is industrial symbiosis—where companies utilize each other's waste streams, heat, or electricity, or jointly develop infrastructure. Despite the recognized technical and economic potential, there is a lack of insight into the strategic behavior of companies within such symbiotic networks, especially when external markets and regulations (such as regarding climate policy) change.

The aim of this PhD project is to gain insight into the strategic, economic, and organizational factors that stimulate or hinder collaboration in industrial symbiosis. The research will in particular be directed at the transition in heating in regions with various types of heat users and producers within the context of residual heat supply chains, such as in horticultural and industry clusters.

The ideal candidate is ambitious, highly motivated, and wishes to make a career in economic and/or business research as well as to contribute to addressing the pressing societal issue of climate change. He or she has

•       obtained a MSc degree, or equivalent, in Economics, Business, and/or Finance, with excellent results;
•       demonstrated affinity with one or several of the following fields: energy economics, industrial economics, strategy, innovation;
•       knowledge of European climate and energy policy and societal debate on decarbonization of industry and energy sector;
•       experience working in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Stata, Excel, R);
•       fluency in English, both written and spoken; Familiarity with the (energy) policy context in the Netherlands, as well as proficiency in writing and speaking Dutch, are advantages.

• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.

Shaping a better future together – your career starts at FEB The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at the University of Groningen is a vibrant academic community with a clear mission: to develop knowledge that matters. With students and staff from over 100 countries, we foster an international working and learning environment where societal impact, world-class research, and innovation are at the core. At FEB, you’ll join committed colleagues who inspire and challenge one another. Whether you're a researcher, lecturer, or support professional, your skills and ambition will contribute to educating tomorrow’s leaders and thinkers. We encourage personal development and provide plenty of room for initiative and growth. Ready to take the next step in your career? Explore our vacancies and become part of one of the Netherlands’ leading faculties.

The PhD position is embedded in the Centre for Energy Business and Economics Research (CEnBER) and in the research programmes Innovation & Organization, and Economics, Econometrics & Finance of FEB’s Research Institute. The project will be supervised by prof. dr. Machiel Mulder and dr. Thijs Broekhuizen. 

Do you have any questions or need more information?

Questions about the content of the job?
Machiel Mulder (Full Professor): Machiel.Mulder@rug.nl

Questions about your application process?
Rina Koning (Policy Officer): A.C.Koning@rug.nl