Postdoc in From linear to circular, reuse of post-consumer textiles

Welcome to Linnaeus University! We meet the societal challenges of today and tomorrow in a spirit of openness, curiosity and creativity. By creating arenas for exchange of knowledge from different subjects, fields and cultures, we open up for new ideas and create new opportunities for long-term sustainable societal development. Linnaeus University – where people grow.

The Department of Design is located at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, one of five faculties at Linnaeus University. The faculty is a dynamic, flexible and international knowledge environment with both scientific and artistic activities in a wide range of main areas. We build complete academic environments where the exchange between teaching, research and external collaborations creates a driving force for the quality of the university and the surrounding society.

The Bridge is a multidisciplinary research and education collaboration between Linnaeus University and IKEA. The programme focuses on big challenges related to Life at Home. The vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people.  Affordability, accessibility and circularity are the long-term strategies towards this vision. The Bridge is a programme for entrepreneurship, innovation, and production. The aim is to create a “challenge-based” international research hub, to bring breakthrough innovations that solves major problems for a sustainable life at home and sustainable solutions of value to the people and the planet.

Field of subject for the position: From linear to circular, reuse of post-consumer textiles
Placement: Department of Design, Växjö, Sweden.
Extent and period: The position is available as soon as possible, for duration of two (2) years. Extent is 100%. 

Context of position:

The purpose of this postdoctoral project is to work holistically with the question how and if post-consumer textile can be a viable resource for textile furnishing. What questions does this ask of the sourcing, design, production, labeling, communication, use and care processes? What questions does it ask of legislation and of norms, in terms of aesthetics, quality, hygiene? What are the environmental gains and tradeoffs? What are the social, cultural and economic implications of a shift to working with post-consumer textiles? What new expertise, roles, collaborations will it necessitate? 

The project is expected to generate insights and tools valuable for industry, design education and in communication with end-users. Ultimately, the project will contribute to reduction of environmental impacts as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The project is located in design. Because of the systemic and holistic approach, it is expected that the candidate has experience from and a willingness to seek multidisciplinary perspectives, including a sound understanding of engineering and/or consumer behaviours/psychology.

Other duties include:


• Collaborate with researchers in the Department of Design focusing on sustainable home making. 
• Establish and keep close co-operation with main actors within the project, i.e. The Bridge, and IKEA Range and Supply as the stakeholder representing the needs of the industry, and other relevant stakeholders, such as government agencies and citizen organisations.
• Create links with leading research groups at international level to further advance the area of design for sustainable water use.
• Co-author manuscripts to refereed journals and other relevant dissemination channels.

As part of the post, you are expected to actively participate in the department's working environment and network both internally and externally.

Up to 20 % of the work can include teaching and tutoring in the Innovation Master program as well as in undergraduate and graduate programs of the Department.  

Qualification requirements:
Qualified for the position is the one who holds a PhD in Design, with a focus on sustainability, norm criticality or adjacent areas. You should have completed the degree no more than three years before the application deadline.

Applicants must not have previously been employed as a postdoctoral fellow for more than a year in the same or related subject area at Linnaeus University.

To be eligible for this position is also required ability to speak and write in English.

Assessment criteria:
Qualifying otherwise is:


• Research experience within the mentioned fields, and experience from participatory, co-creative, transdisciplinary research.
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals and relevant dissemination channels.
• Ability to undertake a research project independently and meet strict deadlines.
• Team player willing to work with others, high interest in life at home, basic knowledge of democratic design parameters and interact with leading academic groups in Sweden and abroad.

The holder of a postdoc position is assumed to have the ability to carry out research within the described area.
Applicants will be evaluated through a qualitative overall assessment of their competences and skills by following the before mentioned order of qualifications. For the final selection, suitable applicants will be asked to attend an interview. 

Further information:

IKEA Range & Supply has the responsibility to develop, design, produce and supply IKEA retail channels with home furnishing solutions available to the many people. Each year IKEA Range & Supply introduces 2,000 new products in the 442 IKEA stores and other multichannel touchpoints around the world. The total range is almost 10,000 products. So, what happens in Älmhult definitely doesn't stay in Älmhult. It reaches practically every corner of the globe.

We only create products we love. To do this, we apply five dimensions: low price, function, form, quality and sustainability. Together, they create something we call Democratic Design.

Range & Product Innovation is part of IKEA Range & Supply in Älmhult and leads strategic innovation and ensures preconditions for innovation to be developed in the business – democratising innovation at all levels of range and product development and throughout the value chain to create better products at lower cost.

Kontaktpersoner:
Prefekt: Zeenath Hasan, zeenath.hasan@lnu.se
Forskningsledare. Mathilda Tham, mathilda.tham@lnu.se
HR-partner: Maria Furbring, maria.furbring@lnu.se