PhD – Positions in Economics, Strategy, and Innovation – Denmark

Copenhagen Business School (CBS), under the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks grant (Economics Panel), invites applications for three fully funded PhD positions to be carried out within the international Ports as Energy Transition Hubs (POTENT) project. The project spans leading universities across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and France in close collaboration with industry partners who participate to anchor the research in practical challenges and opportunities emerging from the clean energy transition.

They are looking for ambitious and curious PhD candidates driven by big questions in economics, strategy, and innovation and eager to work on emerging interdisciplinary challenges, even if they have not previously worked in maritime or energy-specific domains.

Available PhD Positions 

DC1: Organizational Dynamics and Institutional Innovation 
Host: Department of Strategy and Innovation and the cross-disciplinary research environment CBS Maritime
Focus: How organizations shape (and are shaped by) the energy transition. This project explores how new business models and institutional frameworks emerge in response to climate change and environmental pressures, focusing on strategic innovations and the managerial and policy implications for supporting transformation in near-shore energy systems, such as ports.
Secondments: KEDGE Business School (FR), Port of Esbjerg (DK)

DC2: Economics of Energy Markets and Policy Design 
Host: Department of Economics and the research center Copenhagen School of Energy Infrastructure (CSEI)
Focus: This position invites candidates with an interest in applied economics, energy policy, or infrastructure regulation. The research will explore the socio-economic dynamics of energy systems, with a focus on market design, regulatory frameworks, innovation, and policy mechanisms that can support the integration of renewable resources into broader infrastructure networks.
Secondments: Norwegian School of Economics (NO), Danish Utility Regulator (DK)

DC3. Systems Strategy and Network Innovation 
Host: Department of Strategy and Innovation, in collaboration with CBS Maritime and CSEI
Focus: A systems-level view on sector-coupling and industrial symbiosis, studying how energy, transport, and logistics networks evolve in interconnected ways. The research addresses regional integration and value adding chain structures (e.g., global value chains, global supply chains) in energy transitions.
Secondments: Kühne Logistics University (DE), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (CH)

Who Should Apply? 

You might be a fit if you:

• Are an MSc. graduate in economics, management, innovation studies, or related fields
• Are excited by interdisciplinary work, even if you have not specialized in energy or maritime issues
• See PhD research as an opportunity to connect theoretical research with pressing societal and policy challenges
• Are looking for an engaged scholarship PhD experience that combines academic rigor, international collaboration, and real-world application

Application and admission requirements

The department will give priority to applicants with high grades from their universities.
To be considered the applicant must:

• have a basic education at master’s level (corresponding to the 3 + 2 Bologna process)
• have received the grade of 10 (or equivalent) for the master’s thesis according to the Danish 7-point grading scale (https://ufm.dk/en/education/the-danish-education-system/grading-system)
• have a weighted grade point average of at least 8.2 on the Danish 7-point grading scale for the bachelor’s and master’s degree combined or alternatively a weighted grade point average must be at least 9.5 for the master’s degree alone. If the grade point average is not met, documentation for being in the top 40% of the class is also accepted.
• have completed the master’s programme before starting the PhD programme at CBS
• master academic English at a high level in writing and speaking
• have the aptitude to complete the required Ph.D. coursework in advanced economics subjects.

Employment and salary

The PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years and in lieu of a teaching load, the PhD student is expected to contribute with 20% of their time to the deliverables of the projects and their dissemination (for details see “The Research Project” above). This obligation is equivalent to six months’ work (624 net working hours). The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 28,993 (3886,05 EUR) up to DKK 35,015 (4693,20) depending on seniority and a pension contribution totalling 17.1%. The scholarship includes tuition fees, office space, course and travel costs (according to the current CBS agreement).  Salary level and employment take place in accordance with the Ministry of Finance’s agreement with the Academics’ Central Organization.

Organization/Company – Copenhagen Business School

Research field – Economics

Research profile – First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country – Denmark

Application Deadline – 10 Jun 2025 – 23:59 (Europe/Copenhagen)

More information: Euraxess