Eindhoven University of Technology is looking for a PhD with a background in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Innovation Management, Marketing, or Service Management interested in empirical quantitative research with practical relevance in the area
of AI and digital twinning. 

Short description of the PhD Project
Digital twinning and remote visualization technologies rapidly gain popularity for the design and maintenance of (complex) production systems. Digital twinning is not a new term but paired with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), it is increasingly valuable in transforming industrial operations, which, in turn, leads to the creation of additional business value. A sophisticated visualization of the machine allows remote engineers to proactively optimize productivity, reduce maintenance cost, and extend product life cycles. Although proactive actions make the manufacturer seem 'closer' to the customer's business than ever before, paradoxically, the remote elements in digital twinning limit real-life customer contact that is needed to build loyal customer relationships and to gather ideas for new and improved products.
The aim of this PhD project is to provide firms key inputs to move forward in using digital twinning to collectively optimize operations, marketing, and innovation outcomes. By completion of this PhD project, firms will have insights into both the positive as well as the possible dark sides of digital twin technology.

You, as a successful applicant, will perform the PhD project outlined above in an (inter)national team and in close collaboration with the industry. The research will be concluded with a
PhD thesis. You will be supervised by prof.dr. Tom van Woensel, dr. Néomie Raassens, and
dr. Jeroen Schepers. A limited teaching load is also part of the job.

Group
For this PhD position, two groups are involved: the Innovation, Technology Entrepreneurship & Marketing group (ITEM) and the Operations Planning, Accounting & Control group (OPAC). The ITEM group focusses on understanding and improving new business and product development processes by combining a management and engineering perspective to capture the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of these processes. The research within the OPAC group focuses on the smart control of operational processes in manufacturing, maintenance, supply chains and transport. Research is generally quantitative in nature, while many of the researchers also engage in empirical research.

This PhD project is part of the AI PLANNER OF THE FUTURE program. This ambitious research program is hosted by the TU/e-based Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences and is supported by the European Supply Chain Forum, Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, the Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute, and the Logistics Community Brabant. The program connects to the different communities, moonshots strategic agendas and the themes of each of these supporting partners. It combines 25 researchers, 10 PhD students and over 50 Bachelor and Master students, for the coming five years (2021-2026). This AI PLANNER OF THE FUTURE program considers the explicit intertwining of technical and human elements in the context of AI planning for supply chains and logistics, considering all relevant performance indicators (people, profit, and the planet).

The AI PLANNER OF THE FUTURE program
This ambitious research program is hosted by the TU/e-based Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences and is supported by the European Supply Chain Forum, Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, the Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute, and the Logistics Community Brabant. The program connects to the different communities, moonshots strategic agendas and the themes of each of these supporting partners. It combines 25 researchers, 10 PhD students and over 50 Bachelor and Master students, for the coming five years (2021-2026). This AI PLANNER OF THE FUTURE program considers the explicit intertwining of technical and human elements in the context of
AI planning for supply chains and logistics, considering all relevant performance indicators
(people, profit, and the planet).

The following 10 individual PhD projects are embedded in this program. We are looking for
PhD candidates from a broad range of disciplines ranging from operations research and management, supply chain management, statistics, ethics, cognivite psychology, artificial intelligence, etc.

Project 1: Learning about Customers: Demand Implications of Logistics-Related Decision-Making in B2B, Gelper, Mutlu, Langerak https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/phd-on-marketingoperations-interface-878156.html

Project 2: Context matters: optimizing shared decision making in real-world forecasting and inventory management, Le Blanc, van de Calseyde, Ulfert  https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/phd-on-humanai-collaboration-at-work-878192.html

Project 3: AI-Based Replenishment and Order Fulfillment Strategies for Omnichannel Supply Chains, Atan , Schrotenboer, Van Woensel  https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/phd-on-aibased-replenishment-order-fulfillment-strategies-for-supply-chains-878193.html

Project 4: Robust data-driven sustainable food supply chain, Marandi, Rohmer, Van Woensel  https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/phd-in-%E2%80%98datadriven-approaches-towards-robust-and-sustainable-cold-chains%E2%80%99-878195.html

Project 5: Digital Twins: An ingenious AI companion or an evil twin?, Raassens, Schepers, Van Woensel
PhD in AI and digital twinning.

Project 6: AI for sustainable last-mile delivery by micromobility: a socio-technical perspective, Behrendt, Alkemade  https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/ai-for-sustainable-lastmile-delivery-by-micromobility-878198.html

Project 7 (Extra: 0.5 EAISI startup package + 0.5 ESCF): Data-driven Optimization using Digital Twins for Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery, Zhang, Bliek, Van Woensel
https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/phd-on-datadriven-optimization-for-sustainable-lastmile-delivery-878199.html

Project 8: Online Supply Chain Planning, Dijkman, Van Jaarsveld
https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/phd-in-information-systems-business-intelligence-878200.html

Project 9: From feared competitor to trusted companion: understanding and enhancing trust in AI over time, Snijder, Rooks, Willemsen  https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/phd-on-humanai-collaboration-in-the-workplace-trust-in-ai-over-time-878201.html

Project 10: Widening the frame: Rational choice beyond a given utility function, Müller 
https://jobs.tue.nl/en/vacancy/phd-on-%E2%80%9Cimproving-automated-rational-choice-through-metacognition%E2%80%9D-878202.html

• You have a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Innovation Management, Marketing or Service Management, or another related, relevant field.
• You have a strong affinity with interdisciplinary research, as well as collaboration with industry.
• You have strong analytical skills and demonstrated competences for multivariate statistics and quantitative modeling.
• You are a strong conceptual thinker, able to capture complex business situations in a theory-driven model or framework.
• You can work autonomously as well as in a team.
• You do not easily give up when you face setbacks.
• You have the potential and ambition to become a high-level (innovation) management scholar.
• You like to take initiative and are able to work on a challenging topic that has both basic and applied research aspects.
• Your verbal and written communication skills are excellent as is your proficiency in English and your ability to collaborate in an international setting.

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences. 
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks. 
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program).
• A gross monthly salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities. 
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary. 
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called '30% facility', which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.  
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.  
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.