Kickstart your research career with our interdisciplinary PhD project on SMEs' approaches to the implementation of new clean technologies in the field of green energy.
We invite applications for a PhD position in the research section Business Development. Our research focuses on the economic and societal implications of green technologies, and we have a particular focus on the green transition of the energy sector. Our section is diverse in culture, nationalities, and career paths from both industry and academia.
This PhD project will be in collaboration with the Energy Technology and Computer Science section of DTU Engineering Technology and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The project will investigate how technological, regulatory, and market uncertainties shape SMEs’ willingness and ability to adopt the green energy innovations that are essential to achieving a net-zero society. SMEs’ adoption of clean energy technologies is critical to the green transition. Yet, high costs, uncertain returns, and limited resources often slow their adoption and implementation. This project seeks to understand how SMEs navigate the challenges of adopting and implementing clean energy technologies, what motivates them to engage with disruptive technologies, and how emerging regulatory frameworks and business models influence their decisions. The doctoral research will focus on mapping the diffusion of clean technologies among European SMEs, analysing the factors that shape adoption under uncertainty, exploring the new business models enabled by digital and clean technologies, and examining how regulation facilitates or hinders implementation. In doing so, the project aims to generate insights that contribute both to academic debates in innovation management and to practical questions of how to accelerate the green energy transition.
Responsibilities and qualifications
Your primary research tasks will include:
- Development of research design in collaboration with the supervisor team
- Data collection and analysis
- Participation in PhD courses and workshops
- Interdisciplinary research collaboration within the field of sustainable energy
- Dissemination of research findings through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and collaboration with project partners
This research will be conducted under the supervision of Associate Prof. Kristina Vaarst Andersen, Associate Prof. Michele Cantarella, and Prof. Mehdi Savaghebi (DTU Engineering Technology), in close collaboration with Prof. Dr. Claudia Doblinger and Prof. Dr. Andreas Pondorfer (both Technical University of Munich), who will serve as co-supervisors. A secondment at Technical University of Munich, Straubing, Germany, is an essential component of the project and will contribute to the interdisciplinary nature of your PhD.
You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.
We expect you to have demonstrated experience or a strong interest in the following areas:
- Insight into one or more research streams related to Innovation Management, Technology and Market Emergence, and Technology Implementation.
- Experience with quantitative data, basic applied econometrics skills, and interest in furthering these.
- Interest in Green Technologies and Green Energy.
Experience with other social science methods (e. g. qualitative techniques, fuzzy sets, or (field) experiments), as well as familiarity with the literature on digital transformation and business models, will be assessed positively. In addition, you should be able to work efficiently as part of a collaborative research team and take responsibility for your individual research objectives.
Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and you will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education
.
We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.
Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.
The primary place of work is the Department of Engineering Technology, DTU Ballerup Campus.
This is a full-time position with the starting date January 1st, 2026 (or according to mutual agreement). The period of employment is 3 years.
You can read more about career paths at DTU here http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths.
Further information
Further information may be obtained from Associate Prof. Kristina Vaarst Andersen, kriva@dtu.dk
You can read more about DTU Engineering Technology at https://engtech.dtu.dk
If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.
Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 16 October 2025 (23:59 Danish time)
.
Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:
- A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
- Curriculum vitae
- Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
- A 2-page research plan
You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
All interested candidates, irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion, or ethnic background, are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.
About DTU Engineering Technology
We work at the forefront of university-industry collaboration and develop tools and methods for technology implementation. We are organized into 8 sections all focused on technology implementation, engineering technology and engineering education within a wide range of engineering fields.
Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Ballerup Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
DTU Engineering Technology, Lautrupvang, 2750 Ballerup
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 16-10-2025;
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/CV/FindWork/Details/b939ce7d-c509-4643-afa7-a36504cdb10d
