Territorial planning of agricultural biomass for the bioeconomy: data integration, constraint analysis and optimization

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INRAE presentation

The French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) is a major player in research and innovation. It is a community of 12,000 people with 272 research, experimental research, and support units located in 18 regional centres throughout France. Internationally, INRAE is among the top research organisations in the agricultural and food sciences, plant and animal sciences, as well as in ecology and environmental science. It is the world’s leading research organisation specialising in agriculture, food and the environment. INRAE’s goal is to be a key player in the transitions necessary to address major global challenges. Faced with a growing world population, climate change, resource scarcity, and declining biodiversity, the Institute has a major role to play in building solutions and supporting the necessary acceleration of agricultural, food and environmental transitions.

Work environment, missions and activities

You will be welcomed at BioEcoAgro (https://www.bioecoagro.eu/), based in Laon, France. The PhD position is part of the Chaire de Professeur Junior (CPJ) research program led by Shule Wang at INRAE, which aims to develop an integrated territorial planning framework for future agricultural biomass mobilization and bioeconomy deployment. 

The development of a sustainable bioeconomy requires territorial planning approaches able to connect agricultural biomass resources, their possible uses, and the multiple constraints that shape their mobilization at regional scale. However, agricultural biomass data are often fragmented across different sources and formats, and existing approaches still lack an integrated framework combining biomass standardization, territorial representation, constraint analysis, and optimization-based planning.

This PhD project aims to develop such an integrated framework for agricultural biomass planning in support of territorial bioeconomy development. The project will combine agronomic and territorial datasets, biomass characterization, pathway analysis, and optimization tools in order to identify feasible and sustainable biomass mobilization strategies.

Thesis Director: Renato Froidevaux (University of Lille)

Supervisors: Shule Wang (INRAE, BioEcoAgro), Loïc Strullu (INRAE, BioEcoAgro)

The PhD project will focus on the development of an integrated territorial planning framework for future agricultural biomass mobilization and bioeconomy deployment.

The candidate will work on the following objectives:

• Construct and standardize a multi-source agricultural biomass dataset, with STICS-based scenario outputs as a major component, together with spatial, statistical, and territorial datasets; 
• Develop a compatibility matrix linking biomass types and properties with selected bioeconomy utilization pathways, and define pathway-level performance indicators based on literature and available data; 
• Identify, quantify, and represent the constraints affecting biomass mobilization and utilization, including agronomic, environmental, logistical, economic, policy, and social constraints; 
• Develop an optimization framework integrating these different layers and use the results to inform crop planning and identify more sustainable and feasible territorial cropping strategies.

Training and skills

• The candidate should hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in agronomy, agroecology, environmental systems, geography, geospatial analysis, industrial ecology, bioeconomy, or a related field.
• Knowledge in one or more of the following areas will be appreciated: agricultural systems, biomass resources, GIS, spatial analysis, crop or environmental modelling, optimization, sustainability assessment, and management of large datasets. 
• Relevant experience: territorial analysis, quantitative modelling, agricultural or environmental data processing, optimization, or related computational approaches will be considered an asset.

The candidate should be organized, rigorous, and able to work both independently and as part of a team. Strong analytical skills and scientific curiosity are essential. The candidate should be able to manage their research project, including literature review, data collection and processing, methodological development, and result interpretation. A good level of written and spoken English is required.

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from (depending on the type of contract and its duration):

- up to 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

How to apply

I send my CV and my motivation letter