Are you fascinated by the future of the Brainport ecosystem and keen on delving deeper into the success factors of innovation ecosystems more generally? Do you have a passion for applying cutting-edge quantitative methods and a desire to collaborate with renowned scholars in strategy and innovation management? If so, join us in our quest to unravel the development of a successful innovation ecosystem, such as in the Brainport region. We offer a fully-funded, four-year PhD position focused on open innovation and ecosystems, leveraging state-of-the-art quantitative methodologies.

Innovation is increasingly driven by open and collaborative approaches where knowledge flows freely between organizations, particularly when addressing complex challenges and wicked problems. A prime illustration of this paradigm shift is the Brainport region, where businesses, local government bodies, intermediary organizations, and higher education institutions collaborate to nurture the local ecosystem. The growing interdependence within this ecosystem has advantages and drawbacks for companies striving to innovate.

We are looking for a highly motivated and talented PhD candidate to join our research team, dedicated to exploring the functioning of innovation ecosystems and their profound impact on the innovation capabilities of regional organizations. The successful applicant will be able to craft their PhD research proposal under this broad theme, with the potential to harness a wealth of data sources, such as Dutch employer-employee data from Statistics Netherlands, patent application data, and partnership records. Creative approaches to leveraging text analysis and other data are highly encouraged!

The selected PhD candidate will benefit from our outstanding academic development and collaborative work environment, as well as our strong ties to industry players in the Brainport and Greater Eindhoven region. In this way, you will be able to do high-quality research while ensuring the practical relevance of the research. You will also have the opportunity to interact closely with researchers in our department specializing in various aspects of ecosystems and open innovation. Furthermore, our extensive international network and participation in the World Open Innovation Conference will provide you with the platform to develop your network and disseminate your research findings.

• We seek a highly motivated candidate with a solid academic foundation in Innovation Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Economics, or related disciplines.
• You should have a specific interest and skills in state-of-the-art quantitative and data science methods, encompassing applied econometrics, experimental design, text data analysis, and machine learning.
• Proactivity and a collaborative spirit are essential traits.
• You should be adept at independently organizing your work to pursue research-oriented objectives while maintaining robust team collaboration in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are a must, including proficiency in English and the ability to work seamlessly in an international context.
• Exceptional academic writing and analytical skills are highly valued.

The preferred starting date is February 1, 2024, or by agreement.

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. €2,770 max. €3,539).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.