PhD Position AI-based of Decarbonized Port Call Operations

Help ports on the way to zero emissions! Join TU Delft and develop AI-driven solutions for sustainable, efficient, and collaborative port operations of the future.

Job description

European seaports must achieve net zero emission by 2050 and 55% emission reduction (‘fit for 55’) by 2030 as agreed in the European Green Deal and comply with the FuelEU Maritime and EU Emissions Trading System regulations, presenting unprecedented challenges. Up to 80% of the emissions in ports are attributed to the port call process of ships visiting the port. Efforts of a single actor to reduce emissions will be suboptimal, or may even be counterproductive, for the port call process as a whole. In addition, the anticipated sharp surge in demand for electricity and renewable fuels introduces new uncertainties. Would you like to address this urgent need and develop new methods to support coordinated decision-making for sustainable strategies in the port call?  As a PhD student at TU Delft, you will leverage AI (i.e. optimization and machine learning techniques) to prepare ports, terminals, shipping companies, and other port actors for this important challenge.  

Your research will be part of the PortCall.Zero project - a five-year project with multiple industry partners such as Port of Rotterdam and APMT/Maersk and overall eight researchers who will work together with you on different aspects towards decarbonized and efficient port calls. In the PortCall.Zero project, you will develop novel AI methods and tools that capture the complexity of the port call process and handle uncertainties caused by the energy transitions. In collaboration with the other researchers, this will include the economic viability of operations and governance aspects. The approach will be demonstrated in the port of Rotterdam and other European ports, putting the project in the leading position globally with the most sustainable and efficient port call processes. The research of the project will be conducted jointly with our industry partners to develop new products and services for ports globally, giving you the opportunity to get involved in cutting-edge research and gain industry experience in close collaboration with our partners.

Apart from the PortCall.Zero community, you will be joining an interdisciplinary and active team of PhD students and professors at the Maritime & Transport Technology department and Transport Engineering & Logistics section. If you are interested, you will also have the opportunity to support related lectures and coach our master students during their graduation research. Next to the PhD commmunity, your fellow team members are assistant and associate professors, lecturers, project managers, and postdocs with different nationalities. We share a drive to enable maritime operations of the future, harnessing our combined expertise to develop models and tools. Fostering an open and friendly environment, we are approachable and help each other, share knowledge, but also meet socially, to ensure you will get whatever support and training you need to develop and grow as a researcher.

Job requirements

You thrive on conducting research geared to accelerating the future of port operations. Working in the field of data science, your analytical skills are well honed. To achieve meaningful results, you embrace interdisciplinary and international collaboration, for which you harness your communication skills. Yet you also know how to work independently. In addition, you are motivated to interact with and coach master students, while enhancing your own skills and competencies.

You also have:

• An MSc in Transport Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics or another relevant subject.
• Good Python programming skills.
• Knowledge of data science.
• Experience with artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• A good command of spoken and written English, as you’ll be working in an internationally diverse community.

TU Delft (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 Mechanical Engineering 

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems. 

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work. 

Conditions of employment

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 €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.  

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.  

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.  

Additional information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Frederik Schulte (f.schulte@tudelft.nl).

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 24 November 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV
• Motivational letter

You can address your application to Frederik Schulte.

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. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements. 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.