PhD Candidate: Minimal Viable Products and Innovation Pathways in Engineering (m/f/d) 100%
Zurich
Key information
- Publication date:20 October 2025
- Workload:100%
- Place of work:Zurich
PhD Candidate Minimal Viable Products and Innovation Pathways in Engineering (m/f/d)
100%, Zurich, fixed-term
The Chair of Product Development and Design of Prof. Mirko Meboldt at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT) at ETH Zurich conducts research in the field of technology, innovation, and development methods. Our goal is to increase the maturity of new technologies so that they become applicable in industry, as well as to develop methods and tools that strengthen the innovation capability of companies in mechanical engineering.
Project Background
The concept of the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) is widespread in software development and startups. A Minimal Viable Product (MVP) is a functional prototype with minimal effort that allows early testing of core functions of an idea to gain user feedback and reduce risks in product development. The transfer of these approaches to mechanical engineering is challenging, and the systematic use of MVP principles in mechanical engineering has hardly been researched so far.
The doctoral project aims to investigate how MVP approaches can be transferred to hardware-oriented developments in mechanical engineering to accelerate innovation, reduce risks, and promote iterative learning and validation loops in technical development projects. The goal is to identify new innovation paths and development strategies that enable faster and more well-founded product development in engineering.
The doctoral project is structured so that you are actively involved in innovation and development projects and contribute experimentally and methodologically. You will also take responsibility in leading innovation projects, including within teaching projects and continuing education programs, where students and participants from industry carry out innovation and development projects.
The research has a high proportion of practical development activities while pursuing an overarching scientific goal: The experiences gained from the projects are to be systematically analyzed and generalized to gain new insights into methods and processes of engineering innovation.
Job Description
- Conceptualization, planning, and execution of MVP sprints
- Leadership and coaching of teams within development and teaching projects
- Development of prototypes and conducting experimental work
- Collaboration with industry partners in the context of applied research and development projects
- Preparation and analysis of MVP case studies to derive methodological and scientific insights
Profile
- Completed master’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field with very good academic performance (very good master’s and at least good bachelor’s degree)
- Experience in prototype development, maker spaces, and experimental work
- Strong interest in product development and innovation methods
- Analytical and creative thinking with a structured and solution-oriented working style
- Very good communication skills and excellent English skills, both spoken and written
Workplace
Workplace
We Offer
The research group of Prof. Mirko Meboldt is characterized by working at the interface between basic research and industrial practice. Our projects combine scientific excellence with high application relevance and are carried out in close collaboration with industry partners. Doctoral candidates in our group have the opportunity to build a broad personal network in the Swiss industry and thus shape their career individually – whether through a path into industry, founding a spin-off, or an academic career. Our group understands research, teaching, and technology transfer as an integrated unit – with the goal of not only developing new technologies and methods but also bringing them into practice.
- A unique environment for technology and innovation at one of the world’s leading technical universities
- Access to a high-caliber network of industry partners and executives (C-Level)
- Opportunities for further development in leadership, innovation, and scientific work
- A team-oriented and supportive working environment with great scope for creativity
- International exchange opportunities and participation in conferences for networking and presenting own research
Diversity and Sustainability Are Important to Us
Curious? So Are We.
We look forward to receiving your online application with at least the following documents:
- Short, concise motivation letter explaining what you bring to this position and what excites you about the research project
- Certificates (bachelor’s and master’s degrees)
- References or examples of your project experience in development and innovation
Please apply exclusively via the online application portal. Applications by email or post will not be considered. Further information about the Chair of Product Development and Design can be found on our website . For inquiries, Prof. Dr. Mirko Meboldt (email: meboldtm@ethz.ch, no application documents) is happy to assist.
The position is to be filled by end of spring 2026 at the latest. A start date is possible from November 2025; the exact start can be arranged.
We would like to point out that the preselection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.
