The Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences (IE&IS) department combines disciplinary knowledge from the humanities, social sciences and technical sciences to solve the complex problems of industries and society. We collaboratively focus on and create responsible and effective innovations for the research themes: Humans and Technology, Supply Chain Management, Sustainability and Circularity, and Value of Data-Driven Intelligence.
Are you motivated to contribute to the transition toward nature-inclusive agriculture and horticulture? Do you want to work at the interface of innovation science, system dynamics, value chains, biodiversity restoration, and real-world decision-making by farmers and agrifood stakeholders? Join the NWO-KIC project RISE – Resilient Integrated Systems for Ecosystem restoration as a PhD candidate and co-develop a system dynamics model for agrifood transitions in an interdisciplinary team of four PhD candidates, with farmers and societal stakeholders.
Biodiversity restoration in agriculture and horticulture is urgently needed, but difficult to realize in practice. Farmers operate in complex systems: they are embedded in value chains, regional communities, regulatory environments, ecological landscapes, and business models that often prioritize short-term productivity and profitability. RISE addresses this challenge by developing systems-based tools and implementation pathways that help stakeholders make nature-inclusive decisions that are ecologically meaningful, economically viable, and socially supported.
RISE is an interdisciplinary project involving Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Leiden University, and Inholland University of Applied Sciences, together with a broad network of societal partners from agriculture, horticulture, regional development, water management, policy, and civil society. The project works in two regional case areas: Reusel-Zuid, focused on open-field agriculture, and Oostland Zuid-Holland, focused on greenhouse horticulture. A third region on tree-nursing will be used for validation and replication.
This PhD position is based at Eindhoven University of Technology, in the Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, and is embedded in the Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship & Marketing group. You will be part of a cohort of four PhD candidates who work closely together across universities and disciplines. All PhD candidates will contribute to the shared RISE work packages and will receive cross-university supervision to ensure deep integration between innovation science, system dynamics, spatial modelling, biodiversity monitoring, and ecological indicator development.
The specific focus of this PhD project is on the socio-economic dynamics of nature-inclusive agrifood transitions, with particular attention to value chains, business viability, stakeholder coordination, system dynamics, lock-ins, and rebound effects. You will study, using system dynamics modelling, by means of participative modelling and in workshop settings, how economic incentives, value-chain relations, business models, risk perceptions, and stakeholder interactions shape the feasibility of biodiversity-enhancing practices.
Your work will include:
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Mapping the economic system around farms in the regional case studies, including value chains, upstream and downstream actors, supporting actors such as financial institutions and policymakers, and the distribution of costs, benefits, risks, and responsibilities.
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Conducting interviews and fieldwork with farmers, growers, value-chain actors, regional stakeholders, and policy actors.
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Developing Causal Loop Diagrams that integrate economic, social, spatial, and ecological insights from the broader RISE research.
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Take the lead in the development of a system dynamics simulation model of nature-inclusive regional transitions.
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Designing and facilitating stakeholder workshops to validate system models, explore transition pathways, and test scenarios.
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Analyzing the business viability of nature-inclusive strategies, including incentives, barriers, lock-ins, rebound effects, and opportunities for value-chain coordination.
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Contributing to collaborative scenario development and implementation roadmaps for nature-inclusive agrifood systems.
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Supporting advisory-board meetings, public dialogue, dissemination activities, and validation of the RISE approach in a third case region.
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Publishing—sometimes also in collaboration with the other RISE PhDs—in high-quality academic papers on topics such as collaborative innovation for biodiversity restoration, system dynamics models of regional transitions, stakeholder alignment through systems modelling, and business viability of nature-inclusive transition pathways.
This position is ideal for a candidate who is comfortable working interdisciplinary, at the boundary between theory and practice: developing rigorous academic insights while engaging closely with farmers, regional stakeholders, businesses, policymakers, and researchers from other disciplines.
The PhD candidate will be embedded in a research group with ample expertise in this type of boundary-spanning research. The Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship & Marketing group (ITEM) at TU/e has a strong track record in system dynamics, innovation systems, stakeholder engagement, and agri-food transitions. The candidate will therefore join an environment that combines methodological expertise in systems modelling with substantive knowledge of sustainability transitions, business ecosystems, and collaborative innovation in practice.
We are looking for a motivated, curious, and analytically strong candidate who is eager to contribute to both scientific research and practical impact.
You have:
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A master’s degree in Innovation Management, Organization Studies, Sustainability Transitions, System Dynamics, or a related field.
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A strong interest in sustainability transitions, biodiversity restoration, nature-inclusive agriculture, and/or agrifood innovation.
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Experience with systems thinking and system dynamics; prior experience with causal loop diagrams, simulation modelling, or participatory modelling is an advantage.
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Demonstrated ability or strong interest in qualitative and/or mixed-method research, including interviews, case studies, fieldwork, workshops, and stakeholder engagement.
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Interest in business models, value chains, ecosystems, and the economic feasibility of sustainability transitions.
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The ability to work in an interdisciplinary research team and to connect insights from innovation science, ecology, spatial planning, and practice.
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Ability and willingness to engage directly with stakeholders (e.g. farmers, industry partners, policymakers) and translate complex theoretical concepts into actionable insights and tools.
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Strong communication skills and the ability to interact with academic and non-academic stakeholders.
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Excellent written and spoken English.
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Willingness to conduct fieldwork in Dutch agricultural and horticultural regions.
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Speaking Dutch is a strong advantage, because the project involves interviews and workshops with Dutch farmers, growers, and regional stakeholders.
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Proactive, independent, and organized, with the ability to manage a complex, multi-partner research project.
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Motivated to contribute to teaching and student supervision as part of your academic development.
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:
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Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment.
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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. € 3,204 - max. € 4,051 gross base salary per month (full-time)).
- In addition to your base salary, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, both calculated based on your annual gross base salary.
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As a TU/e employee, you participate in the ABP pension scheme, providing retirement pension and pension benefits for surviving dependents and occupational disability. TU/e pays 70% of the pension premium, while employees contribute the remaining 30%.
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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.
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An excellent technical infrastructure, and on-campus children's day care.
- Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
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We support your wellbeing with free 24/7 access to OpenUp, providing you and your family with mental health support, expert guidance, and online training.
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An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
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A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the Expat Scheme) for international candidates.
On our website you can discover even more information about our conditions of employment. Build on your career at TU/e!
We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community.
Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here.
The position will be supervised by dr.ir. Bob Walrave as promotor, dr.ir. Rianne Valkenburg as advisor, with cross-university and interdisciplinary supervision involving expertise from TU/e Built Environment, prof. Bige Tunçer, and Leiden University, prof. Peter van Bodegom. The candidate will collaborate closely with the other PhD candidates in RISE, who focus on spatial system mapping and decision-support design, biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem services, and ecological indicators and monitoring strategies.
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact Bob Walrave ([email protected]) or Rianne Valkenburg ([email protected]).
Visit our website for more information about the application process.
Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.
Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.
We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:
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Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
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Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references. Kindly note that we may reach out to references at any stage of the recruitment process. We recommend notifying your references upon submitting your application.
Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. We give priority to complete applications.
We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.
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You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
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A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
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Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
Type of employment: temporary position | Contract type: full time | Number of positions: 1 | Full-time equivalent: 1.0 FTE | City: Eindhoven | County: Noord-Brabant | Country: Netherlands | Reference number: 2026/529 | Published: 2026-09-01 | Last application date: 2026-10-01
