SD-26141 PhD STUDENT IN CONSUMPTION-BASED FOOT-PRINTING OF COMPETITIVENESS POLICIES

Fixed term contract | Belvaux | 48 months

Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a leading Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) that drives innovation for the economy and society in Luxembourg and beyond. With cutting-edge expertise in Natural, Built, Industrial environments, Space, AI, Security and defence technologies. LIST bridges scientific excellence and applied research to design solutions that address real-world challenges and create positive impact.

The Environmental Sustainability Assessment and Circularity (SUSTAIN) Unit conducts cross‑disciplinary research to support the transition toward a more sustainable, resilient, and healthy society. SUSTAIN combines expertise in environmental sciences, circular economy, risk and safety assessment, and sustainable innovation to address complex challenges related to human and environmental health, climate change, and resource efficiency, developing knowledge, methods, and transferable software for the simulation and comprehensive sustainability assessment of socio-economic systems. Its purpose is to foster sustainable eco-innovation, through products and technologies, as well as support sustainability-oriented policy implementation and behavioural change to promote decarbonisation transitions.

Do you want to know more about LIST? Check our website: https://www.list.lu/

How will you contribute?

The world faces a convergence of crises that are transforming the conditions for human development. Climate instability, ecosystem degradation, and the overuse of natural resources have reached critical levels, while social inequality, political fragmentation, and technological disruption are reshaping societies. Traditional notions of economic competitiveness, centred on growth and productivity, are being redefined to include social resilience, inclusiveness, and ecological integrity. Responding to this “polycrisis” requires new pathways that reconcile prosperity with planetary and social limits. Luxembourg offers a particularly illustrative example of these tensions. The country enjoys one of the highest income levels globally and a dynamic financial and business environment that sustains its reputation for economic success. Yet this prosperity depends strongly on cross-border commuting, which creates mobility challenges and environmental stress. Escalating housing prices have made access to affordable living increasingly difficult, displacing a significant share of the workforce beyond national borders. The reliance on imported energy leaves households and firms vulnerable to external shocks. Although Luxembourg’s welfare model and social dialogue remain robust, they are under pressure from rising costs of living, widening inequalities, and growing demands on public services. Environmentally, Luxembourg’s footprint per inhabitant ranks among the largest worldwide, driven by high consumption and land-use pressures that push the country beyond sustainable limits.

Meeting these intertwined challenges calls for coordinated transformations that bridge sectors, disciplines, and scales. Economic and social progress must be reframed within the concept of a Safe Operating Space—an area in which human well-being is achieved without breaching environmental boundaries. The objective is to steer innovation, governance, and everyday practices toward forms of competitiveness that are compatible with sustainability, rather than in conflict with it. The Doctoral Training Unit C-SOS (Competitiveness within a Safe Operating Space) is designed to cultivate researchers capable of analysing and fostering such transformations. It brings together an interdisciplinary consortium to train 12 PhD candidates in the assessment and design of inclusive and sustainable development trajectories.

The programme equips them with conceptual and methodological tools to connect environmental sustainability, social well-being, and economic dynamics into integrated frameworks for decision-making. Its ambition is to inform socio-economic policies, encourage responsible industrial and technological innovation, and contribute to more equitable and resilient societies. Luxembourg provides an ideal environment for this initiative, combining strong expertise in sustainability science and policy analysis. The DTU is a collaboration between researchers at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the University of Luxembourg (UL) and the Urban Development and Mobility Department at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER). The consortium also includes the National Statistics Office (STATEC). In this DTU, 12 scientists will train 12 PhD students over six years (from January 2027), each obtaining a PhD from UL’s doctoral schools.

As part of the C-SOS Doctoral Training Unit, in this PhD you will develop a quantitative policy toolbox that estimates, across multiple planetary boundary dimensions (e.g. climate change, water and land use, biodiversity), what a given policy measure actually delivers — individually and in combination — for Luxembourg and the Greater Region.

You will be embedded in the SUSTAIN unit at LIST and enrolled as a doctoral candidate at the University of Luxembourg. You will work closely with a diverse cohort of 12 PhD researchers across the social, economic, and environmental sciences, contributing to a shared research agenda on how Luxembourg can thrive within its fair share of planetary limits

You will be mainly in charge of:

• Conducting a systematic review and critical assessment of existing multiregional input-output (MRIO) analysis based projection methods and demand-side modelling approaches (taxation/subsidies, bans, income elasticities, rebound effects)

• Developing a methodological framework for the prospective quantification of environmental impacts of policy scenarios, integrating input-output analysis, scenario modelling, and micro-economic methods

• Applying the framework to Luxembourg and the Greater Region under a range of beyond-growth and climate policy scenarios (e.g. carbon fee-and-dividend schemes, ICE phase-out, 4-day workweek, housing construction codes, mobility subsidies), producing quantitative footprint estimates at territorial scale

• Building and maintaining an open, modular, Python-based policy toolbox enabling the testing of individual and combined policy measures and their environmental outcomes across all relevant planetary boundary dimensions

• Collaborating with other C-SOS doctoral researchers — in particular those working on social foundation and economic systems — to ensure that policy scenarios are grounded in socially realistic and economically coherent assumptions

• Publishing results in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at international conferences

• Contributing to C-SOS training activities, workshops, and stakeholder engagement events

Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!

Education

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in a quantitative discipline relevant to environmental sustainability, such as: industrial ecology, environmental engineering, environmental or ecological economics, data science applied to sustainability, or computational social science

• Solid academic grounding in at least one of the following: life cycle assessment, input-output economics, environmental accounting, or integrated assessment modelling

Experience and skills

• Strong Python programming skills are essential; experience with data science workflows, large dataset handling, and reproducible research practices (e.g. version control with Git) is highly valued

• Multiregional input-output (MRIO) analysis and knowledge of environmentally-extended input-output (EEIO) models are required; familiarity with EXIOBASE or FIGARO is an asset

• Experience with prospective LCA or scenario-based sustainability modelling is an asset

• Ability to translate complex policy questions into quantitative modelling frameworks — bridging the gap between policy intent and measurable environmental outcomes

• Intellectual curiosity and genuine interest in the intersection of environmental science, economics, and public policy

• Capacity to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team

• Strong analytical and scientific writing skills

Language skills

• Fluency in English, both oral and written. National and Greater Region languages (French, German, Luxembourgish) are an asset, other languages welcome

Your LIST benefits

• An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects

• Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society

• Innovative infrastructures and exceptional labs occupying more than 5,000 square metres, including innovations in all that we do

• An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas

• Personalized learning programme to foster our staff’s soft and technical skills

• Multicultural and international work environment with more than 60 nationalities represented in our workforce

• Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions

• Gender-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science

• 32 days’ paid annual leave, 11 public holidays, 13-month salary, statutory health insurance

• Flexible working hours, home working policy (not remote) and access to Digital lunch vouchers

Apply online

Your application must include:

• A motivation letter oriented towards the position and detailing your experience

• A scientific CV with contact details

• List of publications, if applicable)

• Contact details of 2 references

Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by email will not be considered.

Application procedure and conditions

We kindly request applicants to provide their nationality for statistical purposes only, as part of our commitment to promoting diversity and ensuring equal opportunities in our workforce. This information will be kept confidential and will not be used for any discriminatory purposes.

LIST is dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination based on national origin, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, or disability.

Applications will be continuously reviewed until the position is filled. An assessment committee will thoroughly evaluate applications, adhering to guidelines designed to ensure equal opportunities. The primary criteria for selection will be the alignment of the applicant's existing skills and expertise with the requirements mentioned above.

As part of our recruitment process, the selected candidate might be subject to a background check in accordance with applicable laws and institutional policies.

PhD additional information:

• Supervisor at LIST: Dr. Thomas Gibon

• Work location: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Belvaux, Luxembourg

• PhD enrolment: University of Luxembourg, Belval, Luxembourg

• Please note that university enrolment fees, currently set at 400 EUR per semester (as of July 2025) must be covered by the successful applicant.

• Your master diploma must be recognized in Luxembourg. Please refer to: https://www.uni.lu/en/admissions/diploma-recognition/ and https://guichet.public.lu/fr/citoyens/enseignement-formation/etudes-superieures/reconnaissance-diplomes.html

• Hired PhD candidates must self-register at the university of Luxembourg and cover all associated fees.

• A B2 English certificate is mandatory; see University of Luxembourg's accepted certificates list, IELTS or TOEFL, unless your Master degree was fully taught in English.

This position offers a gross monthly salary of € 3’435,81, paid over 13 months (€ 44’665 annually) based on full‑time employment.