PhD position Understanding Regional Ecosystems for Innovation

PhD position Understanding Regional Ecosystems for Innovation (1.0 FTE)

Job description

The Faculty of Spatial Sciences is looking to appoint a PhD researcher on the topic of ‘regional ecosystems for innovation’ with a focus on furthering regional circular economies. The PhD position is part of the EU-funded project ‘European Circular Innovation Valley (ECIV)’ in which 9 EU-regions work together towards establishing a lasting regional collaborative framework that will facilitate transforming traditional value chains into more circular value chains or value webs that generate sustainable growth and development in regions.

Within ECIV, the PhD project is meant to contribute to further understanding of how economic ecosystems evolve in a sustained way. In support of this, the PhD project involves the development and execution of ecosystem monitoring tools. What makes a valuable, robust and adaptive ecosystem? For this, we aim to use both quantitative and qualitative (ethnographic) approaches.

Given its set-up, the PhD project serves a double goal: It is aimed at generating impactful results that directly contribute to ECIV. As such, the project will entail engaging with the other consortium members, in The Netherlands and beyond as well as with external stakeholders relevant in the circular economy (sector organisations, entrepreneurs, governments). Academically, the PhD project is geared toward furthering our understanding of the development, dynamics and longevity of ecosystems. A contribution to teaching is expected.

Central tasks include

• Delivering a PhD thesis that consists of 4 academic papers, an introduction and a conclusion.
• Conduct research activities including: literature analysis, policy analysis, stakeholder interviews, analysis of surveys and secondary data.
• Participating in the development and execution of key deliverables for the ECIV-project.
• Participating, as part of the data collection, in the relevant stakeholder networks within ECIV and in the Northern circular economy ecosystem.
• Work with students, startups and industry/business in challenge based innovation projects.

As a PhD, you will have the opportunity to further develop your research skills in courses, summer schools and conferences. This is supported both from the project and the Faculty of Spatial Sciences.

The Faculty of Spatial Sciences is a faculty with an open character. With approximately 100 members of staff, 100 PhD researchers and around 1,100 students, we focus on high quality teaching and research in the field of human and economic geography, demography, and spatial planning. Our research programme is titled TRACE (TRAnsformations, Communities and Environments). Our ambition is to create scientific and societal impact by undertaking cutting-edge research at the interface of people, places, and planning in rural and urban settings, especially at local and regional scales. With two bachelor and seven master’s programs, we provide a wide range of courses in the fields of geography and spatial sciences. Our motto is: we are making places better together.

The Department of Economic Geography, in which the position will be based, is one of the four departments in the faculty and it offers an open and friendly academic environment with an international staff. The department has about 20 members of staff and 25 PhD researchers. The University of Groningen has a very strong reputation as one of the main centers in regional science globally. In terms of teaching, the department of Economic Geography contributes to the Bachelor Human Geography and Planning and it is responsible for the Master’s program in Economic Geography, which includes the track 'Regional Competitiveness and Trade', and the master of Real Estate Studies. Our research focuses on issues related to regional labour markets, migration, entrepreneurship, geographies of well-being, happiness and discontent, the green and digital transition, socio-spatial inequalities and real estate applying quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods.

Qualifications

Our ideal candidate should have

• A MSc Degree (or nearly finished) in the field of economic geography, regional science, applied economics, entrepreneurship, innovation or in another social science showing a clear affinity to issues of regional development and innovation in particular.
• Given the mixed methods approach, candidates who combine an aptitude in quantitative and qualitative research skills have an advantage. The candidate should at least be well-versed in one of the two approaches with the willingness to develop the other approach.
• Good skills to present academic analyses to varied audiences including policy makers. Also, you are comfortable building and maintaining a professional network to regional and international stakeholders.
• A fluency in English (reading, writing, speaking). Command of Dutch is not required, but can be a plus as it will ease communication with regional stakeholders.

Conditions of employment

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• A salary of € 2,901 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3,707 gross per month in the fourth and final year for a full-time working week (salary scale PhD).
• A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income, an 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance and participation in a pension scheme for employees.
• A position for four years; first, you will get a temporary position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years; extension of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year so that successful completion of the PhD thesis within the contract period is to be expected. A PhD training programme is part of the agreement and training will be tailored to the candidate. The candidate will be enrolled in the Graduate School of the Faculty of Spatial Sciences

We aim for a start date of 1 June 2025

The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply.

Information

For information you can contact:

• Prof. Sierdjan Koster, sierdjan.koster rug.nl