The Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences (IE&IS) of the Eindhoven University of Technology is opening a 4-year, fully funded Ph.D. position. The position is designed to foster research on the project 'The role of the state in knowledge creation for technical standards'.

The project:

In many technical areas, standards shape how the future of technology looks like, and determines who is winning and who is losing the game. The strategic dimension of standardization is nowadays widely recognized by both companies and governments, who actively participate in standardization, discuss standardization-related policy and regulation, and more. This Ph.D. project looks at a fundamental element in this discussion that is still under-researched: where does the underlying knowledge come from that enable and give direction to standards? Following the current academic and policy debate on the role of the state in knowledge development (see Mazzucato, 2013), one of the main questions in this project is to understand the relative contribution of government (funded) research compared to that of commercial research and development. Such an understanding does not only have scientific relevance, but also significant policy relevance in light of growing geopolitical tensions in the field of standardization. This Ph.D. project includes four studies that use state-of-the art approaches in the field of economics, econometrics, and management. A more extensive project description is available upon request (see contact information below).

Job description:

You, as a successful applicant, will develop state of the art skills in research through empirical analyses that combine quantitative techniques (network analysis, statistical analysis, regression analysis) and qualitative analysis (including interviewing stakeholders and qualitative data analysis). You will present the results of the research in a Ph.D. dissertation, to be completed within four years, and will publish academic journal articles based on your work. Throughout the project, you will present results at international academic conferences. A small teaching load is part of the job.

Organization:

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is one of the world's leading research universities. Already for years, TU/e has been in the top 20 percent worldwide of the general Times Higher Education and QS rankings, and is rated 12th in the ARWU/Shanghai ranking for Engineering Technology and Computer. It is particularly well-known for its joint research with industry. Through excellent research TU/e aims at providing solutions to global societal challenges and contributing to the prosperity and welfare in the region and beyond. TU/e is located at the heart of Brainport Eindhoven, a world-class high-tech innovation hub, renowned for its high level of investments in R&D and for filing the largest number of patent applications per year in Europe.

Research group and supervision:

At Eindhoven University of Technology, you will be part of two groups. Firstly, the Technology, Innovation, and Society (TIS) group, which is a young, ambitious, and international group with an excellent track record. Our research focuses on understanding the development and use of technology in a business and societal context. Our main research topics are in the knowledge economy, the economics of innovation and intellectual property, system innovation, and sustainability transitions. Secondly the Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship and Marketing (ITEM) group, which is a dynamic group focusing on understanding and improving new business and product development processes within firms, organizations, and institutions in a high-tech context.

This project is part of a SOONS, a collaboration that also includes Delft University of Technology (Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management), Erasmus University (Rotterdam School of Management), and the Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN). As a successful candidate, you will also extensively work with the other Ph.D. researchers on standardization part of this collaboration.

During your Ph.D. appointment, you will work under the supervision of prof. Rudi Bekkers, dr. Paul Wiegmann, and dr. Emilio Raiteri (all TU/e), and also receive advice and guidance from dr. Geerten van de Kaa (Delft University of Technology).

Your profile:

• You hold (or are close to obtaining) a master's degree in Innovation Sciences, Innovation Management, Information Sciences, or related fields.
• You have expertise in empirical research methods, econometrics and/or data science.
• You have a strong interest in standardisation (processes), economics of innovation and management studies.
• You have an excellent command of spoken and written English.
• You are ambitious and strongly motivated to conduct high-quality academic research.

• Excellent working conditions in a multidisciplinary and open environment.
• Intensive supervision and commitment. The supervision team has extensive experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and with relevant theories.
• Advanced training and learning opportunities in innovation sciences and fields relevant to the project. A budget for following external Ph.D.-level courses that are relevant to the project is available.
• Full financial support, including professional travels and IT equipment.
• Strong support for publishing your research results in reputable international journals.
• Opportunity to gain teaching experience.

Contract Features:

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called '30% facility', which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.
• We aim to start the position on September 1, 2022, but an earlier start can be discussed.