The Center for Integrative Innovation Management (C*I2M) at the Department of Business & Management (DBM) at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invites applications for one or more 2-year Postdoctoral positions (with possibility for a 1-year extension). The PostDoc will teach e.g. within project management, innovation management, and organization and contribute research time to one of the following projects:

•  “Anticipating STRAtegic Long-term challenges” (ASTRAL) headed by Professor Patricia Wolf,
• “Exnovation in Manufacturing: Revealing the Hidden Agent of Change” (Ex-Man) headed by Associate Professor Martin Kalthaus. 

The positions are located at SDU’s Campus in Odense and are vacant from 1st of January 2026 or as agreed. 

The positions are embedded within the Center for Integrative Innovation Management (C*I2M). The research in C*I2M is cross-disciplinary integrating management, marketing, and technology. We seek to understand and promote insights of innovation from the initial idea to the fully commercialized or implemented innovation. The center is currently hiring a number of younger researchers for various projects ensuring a vibrant research environment. 

Applicants’ profile
We are looking for applicants with a PhD in the relevant field of innovation management, business and, economics, or adjacent disciplines with a strong or promising publication track.  Moreover, we expect applicants to: 

• Have excellent English skills, both in speaking and writing. Danish or German would be an asset.
• Have excellent communication skills. 
• Have sound knowledge in innovation management or related fields
• Have experience in conceptual research and theory building.
• Have command of quantitative or qualitative research methods and related software.  
• Preferably first teaching experience at the undergraduate or graduate level. 
• Be engaged, cooperative, and able to work independently.

The successful candidate will be expected to participate in the various activities within the Center and department and to be present on a daily basis.

Job description
Applicants should indicate in their application and research proposal which one of the following projects they would address:

Project description ASTRAL
The ASTRAL project conceptualizes, enabling them to address major challenges such as climate change or digitization. In particular, ASTRAL investigates how universities can train high-tech SMEs in long-term foresight and strategy development for a sustainable future. This involves engaging in responsible innovation and basing strategy on a positive root narrative of a sustainable future. The project aims to broaden our understanding of what positive futures are imagined by actors in SMEs, and to develop a training that can be used by higher education institutions to guide them in the process of developing a sustainable long-term strategy towards a desirable future. This European project includes further Higher Education Institutions, VETs and industry partners from Germany, Spain, France and The Netherlands.

The Post Docs will be involved in all parts and activities of the research projects. The workload will be geared towards

• participation in coordination activities,
• data collection and data analysis,
• learning/ training material development
• participation in the design and conduction of events with the project stakeholders,
• outreach, dissemination and publication of project results,
• evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of the project output.

For further information, please contact Professor Patricia Wolf pawo@sam.sdu.dk.

Project description: Ex-Man 
The Ex-Man project seeks to understand the exnovation process in manufacturing firms. Exnovation is the process of how old technologies, artefacts, or practices in an organization get removed to make space for the introduction of new technologies and innovations. The project will provide novel insights on how to manage and strategically conduct exnovation and to understand the underlying mechanisms, barriers, and facilitators of phasing out old innovations and its influence on firm performance and innovativeness. Theoretically, the project draws on innovation management, economics of innovation, technology management, organizational learning, and strategy. The positions offer a unique opportunity to explore a novel phenomenon in innovation research and to contribute groundbreaking new insights. 
 

The applicants’ role will be to conceptualize the exnovation process from a theoretical point of view and conduct empirical analysis. In particular: 

• Developing a theoretical framework for exnovation that guides empirical research.
• Conducting, analyzing, and interpreting firm and stakeholder interviews.
• Designing novel survey items and conducting econometric analyses using survey data. 
• Writing comprehensive analysis reports and high-impact research publications. 
• Participating in dissemination activities to share findings with academic, industry, and public audiences.
• Teaching in the broader field of innovation management.

For further information, please contact associate professor Martin Kalthaus mkalth@sam.sdu.dk. 

For questions concerning the Center for Integrative Innovation Management, contact Professor Mette Praest Knudsen mpk@sam.sdu.dk.
 

Conditions of employment

Appointment to the position will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the protocol for the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for postdoc as described herein. Please check links for more information on salary (only available in Danish) and taxation.

The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a self-organiser.

How to apply for this position
Applicants are encouraged to read the information "How to apply" before applying. 

To qualify for the position as postdoc you must have obtained a PhD degree by the employment date. 

For more information on the department guidelines for qualification and recruitment please visit our website.
 

An application must include:

• Motivated application.
• Detailed CV, where education and work history must be month and year specific.
• Certified copies of your master’s and PhD degree certificates including all examination results. Alternatively, the expected date of the PhD defense.
• A translation of grades according to the European ECTS system obtained in BA and MSc programs. 
• Complete list of publications, indicating which publications are most relevant for the position. 
• Brief research plan linking previous research and research pipeline to the envisioned research in the ASTRAL or Ex-Man project. 
• Teaching portfolio – you can find instructions for this here.
• Up to 2 of the most relevant publications. Please upload a pdf for each publication. If your publications have been co-authored, please briefly describe the extent of the co-authorship or your contribution to the individual joint publication. You can do so by using this form or you can describe the co-authorship in such a way that the committee can assess the extent of your contribution. 
   

All documents not in Danish, German, or English must be translated into English. The application documents must be written in English. Use of large language models or related AI tools in any capacity must be disclosed in accordance with best academic practices.

Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number), if they do – the CPR number must be crossed out. 

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the candidates to provide the necessary material.

When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the candidates will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. The appointments committee will manage and complete the job interviews, should such be conducted.

Shortlisting and tests may be used in the assessment process. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will receive an assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU. 

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above, the faculty may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

Deadline for applications is: October 13, 2025, 11.59 PM/23.59 CET/CEST.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link "Apply now" on our website.

UPLOAD GUIDE: Motivated application shall be uploaded as ‘Cover letter’, Curriculum Vitae shall be uploaded as ‘Resume’. All other documents shall be uploaded as ‘Miscellaneous documents’.

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk. 

We recommend that as an international applicant, you take the time to visit Work in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

About SDU

The University of Southern Denmark was established to create value for and with society. Whether our contributions come in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education or learning, we must make a positive difference to society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by cultivating talents and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops and recruits talent. At the same time, we need to ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. The University’s researchers, lecturers, students, managers and technical/administrative staff are the foundation of our success.

Reference number: 3135