The challenge

Our society relies heavily on technical systems to provide essential products and services such as energy, transportation, food, and products. These systems (called assets) are typically large in scale or size, are costly to build and maintain, and have lifespans that are often expressed in decades. The world that these assets inhabit is rapidly changing. This is reflected by climate change, resources becoming scarce, or economic activity exceeding planetary or social boundaries. In addition, the energy sector is transitioning to decentralized and renewable energy systems, the industry is progressing towards an Industry 5.0 ideal, and resources are increasingly sourced from renewable or regenerative sources. Whether it is through intrinsic motivation (creating value) or extrinsic motivation (e.g. CSRD compliance), Asset Management organizations are becoming increasingly motivated to make their Asset Management organizations more sustainable.

In response, the financial, environmental, and social sustainability of these physical assets is of growing importance to academia, industry, and society as a whole. Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) is a rapidly developing research area that can be understood as the governance and realization of sustainable value from large-scale technical systems. SAM focuses on utilizing and adapting Asset Management strategies to develop state-of-the-art insights, plans, and strategies for attaining and aligning the sustainability objectives of asset management organizations.

As a PhD student, you will be responsible for leading and carrying out a challenging full-time 4-year research project on the further development of the field of Sustainable Asset Management by developing new methods, tools, and strategies at the intersection of sustainability and asset management. The research will focus on various aspects of SAM, including:

• Strategies for assets to adapt to changes in the environment, including Climate Change Adaptation, Energy Transition, and the transition toward a Circular Economy
• Translating these strategies into Asset Management practice through Strategic Asset Management Planning and Asset Management Planning.

• You have (or will shortly acquire) a master’s degree in a relevant field such as Industrial Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Industrial Engineering and Management.
• You have a broad knowledge base and research interest in the theme of Sustainable Asset Management and are motivated to carry out research at the intersection of sustainability and asset management.
• You are able to do independent research and are willing to build on your writing and publication skills.
• You are proactive and independent in organization, managing information, collecting data, and collaborating with the asset management organizations in our network.
• You have excellent communication skills and are proficient in written and oral English; The ability to understand spoken and written Dutch is appreciated.
• You have a passion for transferring your knowledge to academia, students, organizations, and the wider world in general.

• Research into a highly relevant and growing research topic.
• An inspiring multidisciplinary and challenging international and academic environment. The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues in which connections with both academia and industry are important parts of the strategic agenda.
• Fulltime employment for 4 years with a starting salary of €2.770 gross per month in the first year and increasing to €3.539 gross per month in the fourth year.
• Tailor-made educational/development program of at least 6 months (30EC), including visits to conferences.
• An annual holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, and an annual year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Access to the industrial network of the Asset Management & Maintenance Engineering (AMME) chair and the wider department of Design, Production and Management (DPM).
• A solid pension scheme.
• Minimum of 29 holidays per year in case of fulltime employment.

You will be appointed within the Asset Management & Maintenance Engineering (AMME) group, which is part of the Department of Design, Production, and Management (DPM) of the Engineering Technology (ET) faculty.

The AMME group focuses on three main research areas: Maintenance Engineering & Management; Sustainable Asset Management; and Smart Maintenance. Together with our (inter)national partners and contacts, our group strives to develop state-of-the-art solutions to fundamental and practical challenges in these fields. For further information click here.

The Department of DPM aims to understand and improve design processes and consequently also manufacturing processes. Focal points in this research field are the development of methods and tools for scenario-based, user-oriented product design against the background of the requirements and constraints of the entire product life cycle. For further information click here.