PhD scholarship in P2X Spinouts & Impact

DTU, The Technical University of Denmark, Centre for Technology Entrepreneurship invites applicants for a 3-year PhD position on “P2X Spinouts & Impact”, starting on 1 February 2023 (or as soon as possible). This PhD project will be supervised by Associate Professor Thomas J. Howard, Head of Tech Entrepreneurship in Practice Group.

The Centre for Technology Entrepreneurship (DTU Entrepreneurship) puts evidence-based research in focus on a wide range of management, pedagogic, and policy issues related to entrepreneurship and innovation. Our research promotes technology-based entrepreneurship by generating, disseminating, and applying knowledge and competencies to education and business development within and beyond DTU.

We collaborate closely with a range of industry partners, as well as private and public organizations. We strive to develop the entrepreneurial capabilities of students, civil society, executives, researchers, and policymakers to create positive social and economic change. At the Centre, the interplay between research, education and start-ups creates a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This PhD project is part of a large project with the VILLUM P2X Accelerator (VPX) project aiming to spinout new business in the Power-to-X space based on Danish university research and IP. Each potential spinout will receive a 2-year fellowship to spinout and commercialize their technology.  This PhD will utilize this accelerator programme as the basis for the PhD data.  The focus will be to characterize and conceptualize emerging business models in the P2X area as well as study the impact of the P2X accelerator on the potential spinouts supported as well as at an overall programme level. As such, the PhD project is expected to yield insights into business models and interventions that are effective in developing and commercializing technologies that can enable the green transition, while providing actionable advice to the VILLUM P2X Accelerator project. In addition, the PhD candidate is expected to investigate how the changing market conditions have impacted investment into P2X technologies over the past decades (where we have seen great volatility). By understanding the external influencing factors, it is expected that we can identify which P2X technologies, business models and funding sources/types are likely to be more resilient with respect to future disruptions.

Responsibilities and tasks
As part of the PhD, there will be the following tasks:

• To work with up to 12 P2X projects where you will need to:
  • Assess the status of their project
  • Manage contact with the founders to onboard them onto the accelerated learning programme X-Tech
  • Work closely with the Tech Trans units from the five Danish universities participating in VPX to develop a common understanding of the commercialization approach
  • Recruiting additional founder for the project from the X-Tech cohort and the business school
  • Finding suitable mentors for each case from DTU’s mentor corps
  • Work closely with the teams during their incubation process, and assist them in finding opportunities to support in terms of business and funding
  • Implement research and analysis with respect to P2X business models to assist teams in the development process
  • Facilitate the off-boarding process for the P2X cases (supported by X-Tech team).

• To conduct rigorous research suitable for academic publication by (for example):
  • Reviewing literature suitable for supporting the commercialization of P2X technology
  • Linking the research data gathering to the VPX cases being incubated, using a case research study method
  • Characterising the VPX cases in terms of their technology and business models being used.
  • Creating indices to assess mid and long term potential impacts of the VPX cases
  • Conducting an impact assessment on the overall VPX programme
• Disseminate your work in international conferences and journal publications as well as helping to convert into usable teaching and coaching materials.

Qualifications
Candidates should have a master’s degree (120 ECTS points) in Management, Business, Finance, Innovation, Entrepreneurship or similar.  Work in innovation in either a corporate or an incubator setting would be very useful as would work within sustainability or in particular P2X companies or technologies.  Engineering and Technology MSc degrees would also be welcomed so long as the candidate has evidence or track record of working in start-ups, tech trans, innovation or project management, ideally with some managerial responsibility.  The candidate should be well organised, have a strong work ethic, and be a good communicator in English and ideally also in Danish.

Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate 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 .

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Professor Thomas J. Howard.

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 an 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 with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

The position will be based at the DTU Entrepreneurship in Lyngby, just outside Copenhagen, Denmark.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here .

Further information
Further information may be obtained from Thomas J. Howard, email: thow@dtu.dk .

You can read more about the about DTU Entrepreneurship: www.entrepreneurship.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
Please submit your online application no later than 21 November 2022 (Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link “Apply online”, fill in the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application, including your research activities and ideas for the research project (cover letter, max 2-pages)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma, certificates, and lists of subjects with your results as well as their official translation into English including official description of grading scale
• Two reference contacts who may be contacted by the assessment committee

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, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

DTU Entrepreneurship is amongst the international leading entities in technology entrepreneurship and helps develop an entrepreneurial culture across DTU. As part of a dynamic and evolving ecosystem, we combine practice-oriented education and research in entrepreneurship with real start-up opportunities from all DTU departments. With rigorous research at its core, the Centre builds the entrepreneurial capabilities of students, industry leaders, academics and policymakers to address unsolved problems, and together create new knowledge, methodologies and initiatives. We enable ethically minded entrepreneurs to build solutions that benefit people, society and the world. The Centre experiments with new entrepreneurial methodologies and activities to push boundaries within research and education. 

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 13,400 students and 5,800 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.