PhD in Information Systems with a focus on Trust in Digital Product Passport Ecosystems

Introduction

Are you excited by research at the crossroads of information systems, digital trust, and sustainability? Do you want to contribute to sustainability and circularity transitions by establishing, leveraging, and governing trust among diverse stakeholders in Digital Product Passport (DPP) ecosystems? Do you thrive in sociotechnical research that bridges disciplines and brings together academic and industry partners to tackle real-world challenges? We invite you to apply for a fully funded PhD position within the TruPASS project at Eindhoven University of Technology.

Job Description

Sustainability is one of the defining challenges of our time, placing global supply chains under mounting pressure to become more transparent, accountable, and circular. In response, the European Union is introducing Digital Product Passports (DPPs) — an emerging regulatory digital tool that accompanies products throughout their entire lifecycle to advance circular economy policy, supply-chain transparency, regulatory compliance, market surveillance, and single-market harmonization. Yet DPPs are more than digital records: they form ecosystems connecting a diverse set of stakeholders involved in the production, distribution, consumption, and end-of-life stages of products, materials, and related services through data sharing and use practices. These new data-sharing relationships create complex trust challenges, as stakeholders must develop confidence in the actors, institutions, technologies, and practices that enable collaboration among DPP ecosystem stakeholders. Successfully addressing these challenges requires approaches that go beyond regulatory compliance to enable the establishment, maintenance, and operationalization of trust among DPP ecosystem stakeholders.

Responding to these trust challenges — understanding how trust can be established, maintained, and leveraged to enable collaboration across DPP ecosystem stakeholders — is the core mission of TruPASS, a newly funded NWO research project committed to advancing the green economy transition. These two fully funded 4-year PhD positions are part of TruPASS.

As a PhD researcher, you will conduct research on trust in DPP ecosystems as a member of a multidisciplinary team spanning multiple universities. You will contribute to developing a socio-technical approach that integrates social science and technical perspectives on trust. Through systematic analysis of stakeholder needs, intentions, and operational realities, you will develop artefacts that enable supply chain actors to systematically identify, analyse, and align their trust requirements, and translate them into trust solution maps that provide input for implementation using digital identity technologies by development partners. Your work will serve as a critical conceptual bridge between social science perspectives on trust and the technical prototyping and implementation activities carried out by TruPASS development partners. You will employ Design Science Research alongside qualitative and quantitative methods, producing theoretically grounded, empirically validated and evaluated artefacts that deliver tangible trust impact in collaboration with industry partners, digital solution providers, and multidisciplinary research teams. As an Information Systems research position, this PhD offers flexibility to position your research along the socio-technical continuum — from more socially oriented IS perspectives on trust dynamics to more technically oriented IS approaches to digital identity and design.

Job Requirements

• Master’s degree in Information Systems or a closely related field such as Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, Software Engineering or Innovation Science
• A strong interest in digital trust, sustainability transitions, and digital ecosystems
• Affinity with Design Science Research and qualitative and/or mixed-methods research, and a strong motivation to learn and apply these approaches rigorously in a PhD setting, including the ability to design, develop, and evaluate artefacts in real-world contexts
• Affinity with conceptual and process modelling (e.g., BPMN, UML, goal modelling) is considered a plus
• Familiarity with digital identity technologies (e.g., decentralized identifiers, verifiable credentials) and/or prototyping skills is considered a plus
• Ability and willingness to engage directly with diverse stakeholders and translate complex research concepts into practical tools and insights
• Willingness to conduct fieldwork, including company visits, stakeholder interviews, and co-design workshops as part of the research process
• Motivation to work in collaboration with industry partners and digital solution providers in a multi-partner research setting
• Proactive, independent, and organized, with the ability to contribute to research management activities and coordinate tasks with partners and experts across the consortium
• Strong publication ambition, targeting high-quality peer-reviewed journals and conferences in Information Systems and related fields, and motivation to participate in dissemination activities targeting practitioners, policymakers, and industry stakeholders
• Motivation to contribute to teaching activities and the supervision and coaching of students
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

Conditions of Employment

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you: 

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment. 
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 3,059 - max. € 3,881).  
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%. 
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process. 
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.  
• Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs. 
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates. 

On our website you can discover even more information about our conditions of employment. Build on your career at TU/e!

About us

We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community.

Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here.

The Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences (IE&IS) department combines disciplinary knowledge from the humanities, social sciences and technical sciences to solve the complex problems of industries and society. We collaboratively focus on and create responsible and effective innovations for the research themes: Humans and Technology, Supply Chain Management, Sustainability and Circularity, and Value of Data-Driven Intelligence.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager Dr. Baris Ozkan, [email protected].

Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact  HR Services via [email protected].

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation, explaining why you would fit well for the position.
• Detailed Curriculum vitae including the contact information of two references. Kindly note that we may reach out to references at any stage of the recruitment process. We recommend notifying your references upon submitting your application.
• List of courses you have taken in your Master and Bachelor programs (including grades).
• Master thesis and/or peer reviewed articles authored by the candidate. 
• Results of a recent English language test, or other evidence of your English language capabilities.

Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. Please note that incomplete applications may not be considered and could be rejected.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.

Please note

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.