Research context

Ports are vital nodes in the global logistics network, facilitating international trade and commerce. They connect nations and ensure the smooth flow of imports and exports, boosting economic development. Efficient operations lower transportation costs and enhance supply chain reliability, promoting economic growth. Port infrastructure—such as breakwaters, access channels, terminals, and environmental factors like water levels and currents—greatly impacts their functionality. Understanding the relationship between infrastructure, environment, and efficiency is essential for optimizing port performance.

In pursuit of advancing the efficiency of port operations, a strategic collaboration has been established through a Data-sharing and support agreement between the Port of Rotterdam and the group “Ports and Waterways” at TU Delft. This partnership aims to leverage the wealth of data available, encompassing geospatial information, vessel traffic data, and environmental data, together with satellite imagery and various other open sources of information. Under this collaborative agreement, the Port and Waterways AI research program has been initiated. Financed by the Port of Rotterdam, the primary goal is to unlock the full potential of available data sources and advances in Artificial Intelligence techniques to enhance port performance, with a key focus on sea-side operational efficiency.

Within the Port and Waterways AI research program, four distinct positions have been established, with three already filled. This PhD position will focus on infrastructure use and operational dynamics. The other positions in the program cover areas such as strategic evaluation of port infrastructure and sediment dynamics related to navigable depth, as well as a postdoctoral role aimed at creating a new working environment and developing testing beds for innovative models and methods

Job Description

As a PhD candidate, you will play an important role in exploring the operational dimensions of port infrastructure through the lens of data availability and advanced AI models. The core objective of this position is to uncover added value for sea-side port applications at the operational level. Your focus will be on addressing diverse challenges, with a central emphasis on Port Nautical Safety and Traffic Management. This involves the analysis of moving vessels, requiring the use of AIS and other sources of data, and translating this information into insightful assessments of vessel movements, trip patterns, port calls, and cargo loads.

The scope of your PhD extends to sea-side operational aspects such as port call scheduling, traffic management, and queue optimization to ensure smooth vessel berthing and departures, thus improving nautical traffic flow and safety. You may also focus on optimizing port logistics performance in terms of vessel turnaround times, berth occupancy, and capacity utilization. An essential part of your research will involve real-time monitoring and anomaly detection mechanisms to identify operational inefficiencies, delays, or safety risks.  By integrating AI techniques, such as machine learning, predictive analytics, and real-time optimization, your work will contribute to enhancing the safety, efficiency, and overall performance of sea-side operational processes within the port environment. This position offers a unique opportunity to directly influence the practical applications that drive operational excellence in port traffic management and maritime logistics.

We are looking for excellent candidates who are passionate about Port applications and have a proven interdisciplinary track record. This position requires experience in artificial intelligence and working with big datasets. In particular, we look for candidates with: 

• An MSc degree in Civil Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Transport and Infrastructure, or any other related field;
• Experience in applying AI models and big data analytics to diverse data sources;
• Advanced skills in scripting with Python;
• Affinity with port-related applications, nautical traffic, and safety issues ;
• Ability to work in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment both with scientific partners and stakeholders from industry;
• Additional experience with agent-based (and/or) discrete-event simulation and AIS data is a plus.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. More specifically, TOEFL or IELTS English proficiency tests are required for all applicants except those whose MSc program was taught in English. The minimum requirement of a TOEFL score is 100 and IELTS is 7.0. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

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.

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 Civil Engineering & Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences.

The supervisory team consists of Prof. Mark van Koningsveld, and Dr. Nadia Pourmohammadzia. For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Nadia Pourmohammadzia, e-mail: n.pourmohammadzia@tudelft.nl.