Research assistant Position in Industrial Engineering & Management (50%): Sustainability transitions in the Swedish food system - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering consists of three divisions: Industrial Engineering, Quality Science and Management, and Civil Engineering and Built Environment. The department has a strong and international research environment and has approximately 80 employees with research and education both at the Ångström Laboratory in Uppsala and at Campus Gotland. This position will be located at the division of Industrial Engineering in Uppsala. For more information, see the web of the department.

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Project description: The food system faces unprecedented challenges, but also very great opportunities. Challenges, of enormous dignity and on many levels that cannot be handled with old solutions but require interaction. Opportunities, to contribute with our food production solutions to help meet the SDG (the UN Sustainability Development Goals) and to sustainable consumption, for our own health and for a sustainable world. Here, the food system of Sweden can make a difference, but then we need to act vigorously and together.

In this research assistant position, you will be part of the FORMAS center “Food Innovation Enabling Sustainable Transition – FINEST”, which gathers 17 stakeholders within academia, industry and the public sector. FINEST is aimed at playing a decisive role in product and system innovation within the food system and support both radical and efficient transformation and innovation in the system. The center will be an important actor in order both to understand system transition in the Swedish food context and at the same time supporting and accelerating the specific transition(s) in place represented by three cases: 1) an efficient and sustainable Swedish forest berry chain promoting health products, 2) efficient and sustainable protein crop supply chains leading to meat and dairy substitutes, 3) the experimental power-to-food concept with the potential to largely reduce environmental impact of food production. The center is built around the following core competences: System transition, innovation management, raw material and ingredients, process and product design, food safety and consumer knowledge.

The particular research assistant position is in the field of industrial engineering and management, particularly sustainable system transitions. The PhD project will primarily be concerned theoretical approaches such as the multi-level perspective, transition management, strategic niche management, technological innovation systems, and the social practice approach. Empirically, the PhD project is concerned with studying the food supply system in Sweden, particularly in relation to the three cases within the center. The purpose of this empirical study is to get an understanding of the food system that the innovative solutions presented in this project are expected to transform. To understand the potentiality of system transitions, it is important to understand the growth and development of the current system. Therefore, a longitudinal, retrospective approach will be adopted in the project, in order to learn about path dependencies.

Duties

Research assistant tasks within the above mentioned project, more particularly support with planning, execution of empirical study, analysis of empirical data, and contributions to writing reports and scientific articles. Collaboration with other researchers within the project.  

Requirements

Master’s degree (MSc) in Industrial Management, Innovation, Business and administration, or an equivalent degree. Very good skills in written and spoken English are required.

Additional qualifications

Documented knowledge or practical experience within sustainability, and more particularly within the sustainability transitions field, is meritorious. So is also documented knowledge or experience within the food supply chain, as well as studies of public documentation, archival studies, discourse analysis. You should be ambitious, productive, and have a thorough interest in science and technology as well as business and industry.

Application

Applications should include: Short cover letter, CV, Copies of diplomas and certificates.

About the employment
The employment is a temporary position, 10 months. Scope of employment 50 %. Starting date September 1 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala.

For further information about the position, please contact: Prof. Thomas Lennerfors (Thomas.lennerfors@angstrom.uu.se), telephone +46 (0) 70 167 9553. 

Please submit your application by 17 July 2023, UFV-PA 2023/2774.

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