PhD position in Circular Value Chains in Limburg; NL

Welcome to Maastricht University The transition to a circular economy asks for more than good intentions—it requires collaboration, policies and systems thinking. At Maastricht University, you will contribute to research that brings businesses, governments, and knowledge together. Join us in shaping circular value chains that make a real difference in the Limburg region and beyond.

PhD position in Circular Value Chains in Limburg (NL) (UNU-MERIT & Department of Data Analytics and Digitalisation, School of Business and Economics)

• Our goal: To provide research-based support to businesses and local governments for the implementation of circular value chains in Limburg, focusing on key product and material groups.
• Your colleagues: You will work in an interdisciplinary team at UNU-MERIT and the Department of Data Analytics and Digitalisation (DAD) at the School of Business and Economics (SBE), collaborating with researchers from different disciplines as well as with businesses, policymakers, and other regional stakeholders.

We invite applications for a four-year PhD position focused on the development and implementation of circular value chains in Limburg (the Netherlands). The research is part of the CEL4

LIFE project, funded by the LIFE programme of the European Commission, which runs for six years.

The project takes a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach and requires close engagement with stakeholders—particularly businesses and local governments. You will study how beliefs, practices, and collective actions shape circular transitions within specific strategic and institutional contexts.

Your research will focus on several product and material groups, including circular packaging, battery recycling, plastics recycling, circular concrete, and bio-based construction materials. By combining qualitative and quantitative methods, you will help develop practical pathways for circular business activities and contribute to the broader transition towards a regional circular economy.

What you do As a PhD candidate, you will actively contribute to both research and stakeholder engagement. Your responsibilities include:

• Analysing the regional playing field for selected product and material groups using participatory systems analysis, desk research, and interviews.
• Developing regional roadmaps for circular value chains based on stakeholder workshops and context-sensitive text mining of national and regional policy documents.
• Applying and evaluating serious gaming tools to support stakeholder learning around pathways, collective action, and dual-track governance measures.
• Conducting computer simulations and statistical analyses of circular value chains (e.g. plastics packaging and bio-based construction materials), drawing on serious games, causal loop diagrams, and established modelling frameworks such as SCIAR and the CIRCO Track approach.
• Contributing to the CEL4
  
  LIFE project by working on supply and demand dynamics, skills development, and the creation of enabling environments for circular business activities.
• Collaborating with students and researchers from Maastricht University who are involved in the project.
• Participating in teaching activities within the Department of Data Analytics and Digitalisation (up to 20% of your time).

Are you ready to contribute to applied research with societal impact? Then we look forward to meeting you.

What you bring

It’s not about ticking boxes—it’s about who you are and what you bring. Do you recognize yourself in this?

• Academically well-prepared – You hold a Master’s degree in circular engineering or business engineering. Candidates with a background in sustainability science or business economics, combined with strong digital and data skills, are also encouraged to apply.
• Communicative and internationally oriented – You are proficient in English and feel comfortable working in an international academic and stakeholder-driven environment. Knowledge of Dutch is an advantage.
• Socially skilled and collaborative – You enjoy working with diverse stakeholders and are able to engage respectfully with businesses, policymakers, and researchers as partners in the research process,…