Postdoctoral researcher in Entrepreneurship and Innovation – Business development in small and medium-sized enterprises

Luleå University of Technology experiences rapid growth with world-leading expertise within several research domains. We shape the future through innovative education and groundbreaking research results and drawing on our location in the Arctic region, we create global societal benefit. Our scientific and artistic research and education are carried out in close collaboration with international, national and regional companies, public actors and leading universities. Luleå University of Technology has an annual turnover of SEK 1.8 billion. Today, we have 1,770 staff and 17,200 students.

In the coming years, multi-billion investments will be made in large projects in Northern Sweden to create a fossil-free society both nationally and globally. Luleå University of Technology is involved in several of these cutting-edge research projects and in the societal transformation that they entail. We offer a broad range of courses and study programmes to match the skills in demand. We hope that you will help us to build the sustainable companies and societies of the future.

Subject description
Entrepreneurship and Innovation comprises organizational development with a specific focus on firm development based on innovative products, services, production solutions or management modes.

The research group collaborates with large national and international companies, small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), policy makers and other research groups. Research results are produced in close cooperation with industry and other actors.

Project description
We are now looking for a researcher who will conduct research in NorrlandsNavet, a research center for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in northern Sweden. NorrlandsNavet is a research center where SMEs’ challenges are turned into opportunities. At the same time as large industrial establishments are being initiated in the region, an aging population and younger people moving from the region creates challenges. SMEs have a critical role to play in pursuing emerging opportunities and contributing to an attractive labor market in the region.

NorrlandsNavet researchers reach out to and interact closely with SMEs, industry organizations and other regional actors to identify challenges for SMEs’ innovation and growth. Researchers within Norrlandsnavet - which spans across more research fields than entrepreneurship and innovation - generate and disseminate knowledge that will be of direct benefit to SMEs.

This position has a specific focus on research within the field of entrepreneurship. Examples of relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Entrepreneurial finance
- Management and leadership for innovation and growth in SMEs
- Strategies and competitive advantage for innovation and growth in SMEs
- Interorganizational collaboration for innovation and growth in SMEs

Duties
In the current postdoctoral positions these would be the main tasks:

- Contact SMEs in the region and conduct research in close collaboration with them
- Initiate, design and conduct data collection
- Co-author articles on entrepreneurship with other researchers in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation group
- Be a collaborative partner for other entrepreneurship researchers in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation group
- Write research applications (i.e., for external grants) to expand the external funding for entrepreneurship-related research within the Entrepreneurship and Innovation group
- Plan and carry out knowledge transfer to collaborating SMEs
- Plan and carry out popular science dissemination activities (e.g., webinars, popular science articles, workshops, presentations)
- Develop and teach undergraduate courses in business administration and/or industrial engineering management

Qualifications
The requirement is a doctoral degree, preferably in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Management or any other sub-field of Business Administration. The candidate is expected to have:

- Ability to independently design and conduct scholarly work
- Ability to publish research in scientific journals
- Experience from collaboration with non-academic organizations
- Fluency in oral and written English

Good Swedish skills is a merit. Priority may be given to candidates that has a Ph.D. degree not more than three years old.

Information
Employment (100%) for the position is limited to one year, with the possibility of extending for an additional year.

Location: Luleå

For further information, please contact Professor Sara Thorgren, +46 (0) 920-49 23 42, [email protected]

Union representatives: SACO-S Kjell Johansson, (+46)920-49 1529 [email protected] , OFR-S Lars Frisk, 0920-49 1792 [email protected]

In case of different interpretations of the English and Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Application
Please apply for this position by clicking on the apply button below. The application should include a personal letter describing how you experience is connected to business development in SMEs (about 1 - 2 A4 pages), your CV, and copies of verified diplomas from high school and universities (with list over courses with grades). Please also attach 2-3 academic papers and/or thesis that shows your scientific competence. Mark your application with the reference number below. Your application, including diplomas, must be written in English or Swedish.

Reference number: 4727-2021
Last day of application: 2022-02-10

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