PhD Position in Entrepreneurship, AI, and Labor Market Disruption Technical University of Denmark in Denmark

[Three-year PhD scholarship funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); funding based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.]

DTU Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Denmark is offering a three-year PhD scholarship in Entrepreneurship, AI, and Labor Market Disruption. The project, The New Landscape of Necessity Entrepreneurship: Understanding Entrepreneurial Transitions in an Era of AI- and Automation-Driven Labor Market Disruption, examines how artificial intelligence and automation shape people’s transitions into entrepreneurship, especially for individuals who become entrepreneurs after unemployment.

The PhD candidate will join an international research team led by Associate Professor Argyro (Iro) Nikiforou at DTU, Professor Marc Gruber at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), and Professor John C. Dencker at Northeastern University. The project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and combines large-scale surveys, Danish administrative registry data, and qualitative interviews across Denmark, Switzerland, and Greece.

This position is a strong fit for a motivated candidate interested in entrepreneurship research, human capital, technological change, and labor market dynamics. The successful applicant will work on research questions related to entrepreneurial transitions, business creation, and performance, while also developing their own questions within the project’s overall scope. Responsibilities include developing theoretical frameworks, applying quantitative and qualitative methods, collecting and analyzing survey and registry data, contributing to survey and interview design, preparing journal papers, and presenting findings at conferences and to policy audiences.

Eligibility highlights include a Master’s degree, strong interest in quantitative research and analytical skills, excellent English communication skills, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively in an international research environment. Funding is described as a PhD scholarship with terms based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The application deadline is 2026-11-08. Applicants should review the full job advertisement and submit through the DTU application link.

Technical University of Denmark is one of Europe’s leading technical universities, with an international research environment and a strong focus on creating societal value through science and technology. This position offers access to rich international datasets, a collaborative network of leading scholars, and an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research on AI-driven labor market disruption and necessity entrepreneurship.