This collaborative PhD studentship at King’s Business School, King’s College London, offers an exciting opportunity to explore the business case for battery traceability, focusing on product passports and circular value creation. The project is conducted in partnership with Circularise, a technology company specializing in blockchain-based product passport solutions. As the world transitions to a circular economy, businesses must anticipate and operationalize future product life cycles, creating value in innovative ways. Batteries, as a key technology for electrification and decarbonisation, require effective management and stewardship across every stage of their life cycle to maximize value and recover materials.

The research investigates how digital product passports—tools that record and share information on materials, usage, and quality throughout a product’s lifecycle—can create strategic value for firms beyond regulatory compliance. This includes enabling second-life applications, new circular business models, and end-of-life material recovery. The project aims to provide insights into how digital transparency can strengthen accountability in the battery sector, unlock business value in previously overlooked areas, and enable new revenue models. By addressing challenges related to resource resilience, economic viability, and supply security, the study will contribute to broader discussions on governance and policy design for critical materials.

Supervision is provided by Prof Jonatan Pinkse and Dr Laura Lander from King’s Business School, as well as Dr Phil Brown, Head of Sustainable Innovations at Circularise. The student will benefit from substantial support from Circularise, including access to digital tools, data, internal expertise, workspace, and mentorship during the placement period. Visa arrangements for time spent with Circularise will be supported, and the student will be treated as an integral member of the team, participating in ongoing projects, client interactions, and collaborative activities. This close involvement offers valuable professional experience and exposure to industry practice.

Applicants must have a first or good 2:1 degree, preferably in a related social science discipline, and a relevant master’s degree with a dissertation module. Applied knowledge of qualitative research methodologies, such as qualitative interviewing, ethnography, and document analysis, is required. The KBS PhD programme provides support and training in both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Funding includes a stipend of £23,805 for 2025-26, full Home and International tuition fees for 2025-26, a research training and support grant of £1,000 per year, and conference fees and UK fieldwork allowance of £230 each year. The award length is four years (three years full time plus one year writing up). The application deadline is 31 March 2026, with interviews for short-listed applicants expected within two weeks of the closing date. For informal discussions, applicants may contact Prof Jonatan Pinkse at [email protected].

For further details and to apply, visit the FindAPhD project page.