项目介绍

2026年2月1日

What are you going to do?

In light of the EU’s ambitious twin green and digital transition goals, the implementation of digital product passports (DPPs) has become a regulatory priority. These passports are envisioned to revolutionize the way products are tracked and evaluated, providing detailed information about their materials, manufacturing processes, and lifecycle. With DPPs, parties through the supply chain (including consumers) can access reliable information about a product’s raw materials, the environmental impact of production processes, and the ethical standards adhered to during manufacturing. A key factor in DPPs’ success is legitimacy, that is, the extent to which it is perceived as aligned with a society’s values and beliefs. Without requisite legitimation, the political support and resources needed to deploy DPPs will be challenged. Its technical legitimacy depends on the reliability of the global DPP infrastructure: is the data completely, accurately and securely stored and transmitted? The DPP’s social legitimacy revolves around data reliability and its effectiveness: is its information reflective of reality, does it increase transparency in ways that improves environmental sustainability and can organizations safeguard enough proprietary information to maintain their competitive advantage and motivation to innovate?

The objective of this research is to answer the question: What legitimation strategies (at the organizational, industry and governmental level) are effective in promoting the adoption of digital platforms for Digital Product Passports such that sustainable product lifecycles are accomplished?

From this problem, three key research questions emerge, each of which will inform one of the PhD subprojects:

1. Platform Governance: 

What governance mechanisms and design principles can enhance the legitimacy of DPP platforms? How can data integrity, transparency, and stakeholder inclusion be ensured to build trust and acceptance?

2. Steel User Business models:

How do DPPs afford new value-creating business models in steel using organizations such that a socially legitimate configuration of private/firm and public/environmental interests is accomplished?

3. Legitimation practices:

What practices of legitimation are effective for the DPPs of steel-using firms to be regarded as reliable by regulators and consumers?

Faculty of Economics and BusinessClosing date: 16 februari 2026€3.059 – €3.881

Who are you?

The ideal candidate is ambitious, highly motivated and wishes to make a career in (academic or applied) research. He or she has a thorough training in research skills, speaks and writes English fluently and has obtained excellent results in the master phase.

The PhD candidate should have a background (MSc, research master) in Management and Organization, Information Systems, Environmental Public Policy, Industrial Economics, or related field. An interest in sustainability and the combination of theory and practical implementation would be beneficial.

If you have applied for this vacancy in the previous round, we request you not to apply again.

What can you expect from us?

• In accordance with the collective labor agreement for Dutch universities, we offer a salary of at least € 3.059 up to a maximum of € 3.881 (Promovendus) gross per month for a full-time employment contract.
• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek (1.0 FTE). You can also work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours. For example, with a 40-hour workweek, you save 96 extra free hours, and with a 36-hour workweek, you lose 96 hours.
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and 8% holiday allowance.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.
• The full-time appointment is temporary for a period of four years, under the condition of a positive assessment at the end of the first year. PhD candidates contribute 20% of their time to teaching in years 2-4. Starting date: as soon as possible An assessment may be part of the procedure, consisting of psychological tests and an interview.