Aquaculture Economics

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

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PhD position within Aquaculture Economics – Balancing profitability with environmental sustainability in investment and operations under uncertainty

There is a temporary PhD position for 3 years available at the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management – Section Managerial Economics, Finance and Operation Research. The position is resident at NTNUs campus in Trondheim. This is an educational position, which will provide promising research recruits the opportunity for professional development through studies towards a PhD-degree. The position is connected to the PhD program at the Faculty of Economics and Management and the faculty will be your employer. 

The mission of Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management is to carry out education and research activities at a high international level in the intersection between technology/natural sciences and business economics, management, and HSE to promote sustainable value creation in technology-based areas in industry, business, and public sector organizations in Norway.
The PhD position will be part of the research project Risk-Resilient Aquaculture: Balancing Profitability with Environmental Sustainability in Investment and Operations under Uncertainty (AquaRisk). 

About the project

This project aims to address these knowledge gaps by developing the tools and instruments to improve the decision-making expertise within the Norwegian aquaculture industry to best mitigate profitability risks, while at the same time incorporating environmental sustainability aspects into investment and operational decisions. 

The project is structure in three Work Packages: 

• Risk assessment:  Identifying, modeling, and quantifying key risks, as well as integrating risk models into decision-making processes.
• Environmental impact assessment: Evaluating the sustainability performance of individual companies based on relevant indicators, enabling informed and responsible decision-making.
• Valuation of investment and operational strategies: Assessing investment and operational strategies under multiple sources of uncertainty and environmental constraints.

The project is a collaboration between NTNU, University of Inland Norway of Southeast Norway, NORCE, University of Florida, and Umeå University. 

About the position

An increase in the global population has created a growing demand for high-quality marine proteins, creating a potential for the aquaculture industry (with salmon aquaculture as one example) to satisfy the need for expansion in seafood production.  Nonetheless, several environmental challenges the industry is facing today limit its growth potential. Achieving the dual objective of profitability and environmental sustainability introduces several challenges for aquaculture producers. 

The first challenge is that production in the aquaculture sector is vulnerable to several sources of uncertainty, including market risk and biological risk, which significantly influence operational stability, profitability, and growth prospects. At the same time, while many environmental and biological risks are intrinsically tied to financial profitability, there are also externalities that do not directly impact profitability yet pose significant sustainability challenges. Currently, the industry as well as policy makers lack tools to explicitly integrate such externalities into actual decision-making processes.

This PhD will contribute to the field by exploring new methods and modelling frameworks for integrating multiple risk perspectives, and environmental sustainability considerations in a decision framework for investment and operational management in the aquaculture industry. Research areas include:

• Assessing risks and environmental impacts of individual aquaculture companies.
• Evaluating investment value in sustainable technologies.
• Designing strategies to enhance profitability and sustainability under uncertainty.

The workload is expected to result in 3-4 academic articles, contributing to at least two work packages.
You will report to your supervisor, Associate Professor Maria Lavrutich. 

Duties of the position

• Execute a PhD project within 3 years (including formal analysis and dissemination).  
• Complete the necessary doctoral coursework as per NTNU’s guidelines. 
• Attend project meetings and develop a collaboration network with project partners. 
• Disseminate research findings through national/international academic conferences and open access scientific journals that meet the requirements for the PhD position. 

Required selection criteria

• The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) in industrial economics, quantitative finance, industrial mathematics, or equivalent education within the thematic areas relevant to the project.  Applicants should have a strong academic background with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. Applicants with no letter grades from previous studies must have an equally good academic foundation.  
   
• The position requires excellent English oral and writing skills. 

Preferred selection criteria

In addition, the following qualifications will contribute positively to the evaluation of the applicant:

• Background and/or experience relevant to the project topic  
• Scandinavian language skills 
• Documented experience with quantitative finance, decision making under uncertainty and/or risk analysis
• Documented experience with aquaculture economics 

Recent graduates, or applicants who are in the final stage of their Master’s program, are encouraged to apply. Such an applicant may be offered the position under the condition that the diploma will show satisfactory final term results.

Personal characteristics

• A high level of personal responsibility and initiative
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team in accordance with the project objectives
• Ability to work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary projects and teams
• Suitable candidates should have good communication skills, be flexible and solution-oriented

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

We offer

• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment 
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with dedicated colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Possibility for a research stay abroad
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts. 

Information about Working and living in Norway can be found at the following link: http://www.nyinorge.no/en/Ny-i-Norge-velg-sprak/New-in-Norway/

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

Salary and conditions

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, at gross NOK 536.200,- per annum before tax. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years. The position is connected to the PhD program at the Faculty of Economics and Management and the faculty will be your employer. Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Industrial Economics and Technology Management within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. Your work place will be at the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management.

As a result of the new Act relating to universities and university colleges with associated regulations of 01.08.2024, NTNU has, during a transitional period (for decisions on employment in recruitment positions before 1 August 2025), chosen to use the terms of employment in the old regulations of 31 January 2006 no. 102 on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, research fellow, scientific assistant and specialist candidate.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.
As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

The position is subject to external funding.

For the necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present at campus in Trondheim and available to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English. Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

1)    Application letter concerning your motivation for completing a PhD (400 words/1 page)2)    

2)    A CV with information on education, previous research experience, together with authorized documentation of certificates and study           records. 

3)    Copy of Master's thesis or other relevant publications. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of            the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.

4)    A short project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological        design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1000 words).

5)    Name and address of three references

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. Please note that diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI). 

If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well. 

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential for research will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered.

General information

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

Questions about the position can be directed to Associate Professor Maria Lavrutich, email maria.lavrutich@ntnu.no.      
If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Hilde Selli Egelie, e-mail: hilde.s.egelie@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 04.05.2025