An innovation ecosystem is currently being developed for the industrial replacement and renovation of bridges in the Netherlands. This is done with the help of a large government incentive fund, called the National Growth Fund and the Province of North Holland. In an approved programme, called Future-proof Living Environment, a large number of contractors, clients, engineering firms, suppliers and knowledge institutions unite in a joint mission to make the V&R task manageable and circular in a programmatic and industrial way. In addition, European legislation requires the infrastructure sector to keep transparent records of the sustainability and circularity of their assets.

Therefore, it is important that an open IT infrastructure can ensure a continuous process of information provision and exchange between multiple stakeholders within industrial chains throughout the entire life cycle of assets. The nature of this infrastructure ensures that the governance of the information is implemented in a decentralized manner. As a result, individual parties within the chain retain ownership and control over their own information while ensuring the strictly necessary transparency. This facilitates a digital twin in which all current data and information from assets can be connected. This research is being carried out in collaboration with Circularise, a start-up that develops key technology for this IT infrastructure in accordance with open-standard principles. In this research, we design and develop a usable and public system based on information exchange protocols. With this infrastructure, we are able to create a complete procedure in the program and develop a prototype application.

This stimulates the circular working method of the civil infrastructure sector by taking concrete steps towards the use of open standards. This directly affects the circular procurement of public clients. A tangible example of a prototype application is the support system modelled after the Carfax report. This allows information to be shared in a secure, certified and transparent manner during public tenders.

The postdoc research has the following main activities:

1. Develop a manageable procedure, architecture and schedule of requirements for the supporting system that uses an open digital infrastructure fed with (historical) lifecycle data of assets, elements and materials to promote the provision of information for construction, management, maintenance and reuse.
2. Developing standardized protocols for linking systems and data interfaces for the research.
3. Supervise and facilitate preparations of open-digital infrastructure based on the schedule of requirements.
4. Implementing and validating the open-digital infrastructure in a real infrastructure chain.

We look for the following competencies in the chosen candidate:

• Master in Software Engineering & Development, Information management, information systems, platform development.
• Excellent English proficiency in reading and writing.
• Strong skills with python programming, blockchain and artificial intelligence.
• Energetic and decisive in the collaboration with partners in the field.
• Communicative and enterprising, independent critical thinker and also the ability to work in an interdisciplinary research team.
• Willing to take the lead in research and involve research and practice partners in knowledge development and dissemination.

Fixed-term contract: 2 years.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (based on scale 10: € 3.226,00 - € 5.090,00 per month gross). A two year contract is offered for a position of 38-40 hours per week.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

From 1 September next, a salary increase of 3.7% applies due to a Collective Agreement amendment, followed by an additional 1% increase on 1 January 2025. In addition, most employees employed on 1 September 2024 will receive a one-off payment of €300 gross based on full-time employment.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Architecture & the Built Environment

The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy from early in the morning until late at night, with four thousand people studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on 'design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.

Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.