The University of Twente is seeking a PhD candidate to develop an innovative integrated smart and sustainable system for the construction sector by leveraging Digital Twin and IoT technologies.

As a doctoral candidate, you will work on developing a Carbon Digital Twin that uses data-driven insights and advanced AI techniques to optimize resources and minimize the carbon footprint of construction operations.

Multiple doctoral candidate positions are available, with a focus on one of the following areas:

• Digital Twin architecture: develop an architectural blueprint for a smart construction site and a Carbon Digital Twin that can manage disruptions in real time. A data platform should enable integration between different data sources and services, rapidly detecting disruptions and anomalies.
• Data analysis: create a dynamic (sensor) monitoring and analytics system that can anticipate logistics disruptions and adjust execution in real time to achieve better efficiency and lower emissions. Advanced AI techniques (e.g., computer vision and machine learning), and Digital Twin technology can be used to enable anticipatory and adaptive logistics planning.

You will work in close collaboration with companies, defining design requirements and working on a Carbon Digital Twin model for environmental footprint modeling and simulation. The overall goal is to develop a prototype demonstrating the potential for anticipatory disruption management, opening new avenues for improving operational efficiency and lowering emission and energy consumption. The knowledge and experience gained from this position will place you at the forefront of sustainable construction research and technology. This project is a collaboration between the Department of Pervasive Systems (EEMCS faculty) jointly with the Department of Industrial Engineering and Business Information Systems (BMS faculty) at the University of Twente.

The challenge

• Collaborate closely with our industrial partners, defining design requirements and pushing the boundaries of sustainable construction supply chain solutions
• Pioneer the development of a Carbon Digital Twin model for disruption management, driven by the transformation of IoT and AI technology
• Create prototypes that showcase the potential for increasing efficiency while reducing emissions and energy consumption, surpassing current practices
• Empower the world with smart services for monitoring and reducing carbon emissions from construction sites, charting a path towards a more sustainable and self-reliant future.

We are seeking a motivated and visionary doctoral candidate to join our team in addressing the critical challenge of minimizing the environmental footprint while optimizing operations. In this unique position, you will play a key role in developing innovative designs and prototypes that contribute to more efficient construction sites.

Two types of positions are available in this project, EngD and PhD. EngD is a practical-oriented professional doctorate in engineering which is suited to the direct needs of industry and takes two years to complete, whereas a PhD track focuses on scientific research, and takes 4 years to complete. For the PhD position, we are looking for:

• Enthusiastic and ambitious colleagues who are passionate about sustainability, logistics, and/or construction/built environment;
• You have a Master’s degree in the field of Computer Science, Embedded Systems, Business & IT, or related discipline with a proven affinity for multidisciplinary assignments;
• You have experience in relevant areas such as signal processing, computer vision, embedded systems, data analysis, machine learning and deep learning.
• You have a good command of English (C1; above IELTS 7 or equivalent)
• Candidates should be interested in solving analytical tasks and developing prototypes, combined with intermediate programming skills (e.g., in Python or C-something)
• A high degree of responsibility and independence is expected, while collaboration with close colleagues, researchers, and other university staff is strongly encouraged;
• Moreover, we are looking for a strong personality to defend your ideas not only at university but also in an industrial context.

If an EngD position suits you more, then please have a look at the other vacancy available within this project through this link.

• As a PhD candidate at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment;
• The University offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues;
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);
• You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 2.770,- (first year) to € 3.539,- (fourth year);
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme;
• The flexibility to work (partially) from home;
• A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
• Free access to sports facilities on campus
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);
• You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision;
• We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other staff.

The Pervasive Systems research group is a global pioneer in research and innovation in pervasive computing systems. We foresee a future in which the physical and virtual/digital worlds will intertwine, and that will be founded on data, connectivity, and intelligence. Seamless integration of computing with the physical world via sensors and actuators and computing systems can lead to a sustainable world.

Our mission is delivering fundamental smart sensing solutions for practical problems to provide society with higher living standards, greater safety, more comfort, and efficiency in a sustainable world. This can be reflected in relevant application areas including smart mobility, health care, sports, biodiversity and environmental monitoring.

We develop groundbreaking innovative and smart sensing solutions in several application domains that can have an impact on society. The combination of our leadership in smart sensing systems, wireless networking technologies, embedded AI and computer vision expertise is what makes us unique.