Delft University of Technology
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PhD in Co-creating Circular Business Models and Product–Service Systems for E-bikes and Home Appliances Delft University of Technology in Netherlands
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Environmental Science
Funding
Fully funded 4-year PhD position. Salary and benefits follow the Dutch Universities collective agreement, increasing from €3059 to €3881 gross per month based on a full-time 38-hour contract, plus 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus. Includes TU Delft Graduate School enrollment, health insurance discounts, and a monthly work costs contribution.
Deadline
Expired
Country
Netherlands
University
Delft University of Technology
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About this position
TU Delft is hiring a fully funded PhD candidate for a project on co-creating circular business models and product-service systems (PSS) for e-bikes and home appliances/white goods, with a strong focus on repair, refurbishment, reuse, and behavior change. The project sits in the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Section Design for Sustainability, and is part of the NWO KIC-funded CIVIC-4CE programme on circular consumption and value-chain integration.
The PhD will investigate how circular propositions can be made attractive to consumers and viable for firms, using two case studies in the Netherlands: e-bikes as the primary case and washing machines/white goods as a comparative case. Research activities include co-creating user-centered opportunity spaces, translating behavioral insights into personas and user journeys, developing propositions such as repair subscriptions, refurbished offers, and deposit/take-back systems, and piloting these ideas in real-world settings.
Supervision is by Prof. dr. ir. Ruud Balkenende, Dr. ir. Sonja van Dam, and Dr. ir. Brian Baldassarre. The wider consortium includes TU Delft and several Dutch universities and partners from industry, repair SMEs, civil society, and municipalities. The role is ideal for candidates interested in circular economy, design for sustainability, micromobility, consumer behavior, and transdisciplinary co-creation.
Eligibility highlights include an MSc (or equivalent) in design engineering, business, innovation studies, or a related field; experience with participatory research, co-design, or PSS development; strong English proficiency; and Dutch language skills as an advantage. The position is fully funded for 4 years, with salary according to the Dutch university collective agreement.
Application deadline: 23 August 2026. Apply online via the TU Delft careers portal with a CV, cover letter, and writing sample.
Funding details
Fully funded 4-year PhD position. Salary and benefits follow the Dutch Universities collective agreement, increasing from €3059 to €3881 gross per month based on a full-time 38-hour contract, plus 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus. Includes TU Delft Graduate School enrollment, health insurance discounts, and a monthly work costs contribution.
What's required
MSc degree (or equivalent) in design engineering, business or innovation studies, or a related field; driven, enthusiastic and independent thinker; experience with participatory research methods, co-creation, or co-design approaches and their application in product-service system development; experience in the micromobility sector or affinity with e-bikes is highly beneficial; demonstrated interest in sustainability and circular economy; ability to work independently and collaboratively in transdisciplinary contexts with diverse stakeholders; affinity with design for behavior change; proficiency in English is essential; working knowledge of Dutch is a strong advantage.
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