PHD Digital Manufacturing Product

A PhD position is available in the Advanced Production Engineering (APE) research group at the Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG), Faculty of Science and Engineering. The project develops an integrated digital framework for multi-materials in which materials research and physical testing form the validated foundation, enabling Digital Twins and AI-based decision support for design and process choices. The work focuses on plastics and metals for hybrid design and analysis studies and offers access to advanced laboratories, simulation environments, and a multidisciplinary research setting.

• Master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Production Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong background in materials, simulation, AI/ML, or manufacturing processes.
• Experience with plastics and metals.
• Independent, creative, and collaborative working style.
• Strong communication skills in English (oral and written).
• English proficiency: IELTS 6.5 (academic) or TOEFL computer-based 237 or TOEFL internet-based 92.

• Contribute to the development and validation of an integrated approach for multi-material and multi-step simulations using advanced digital engineering tools.
• Conduct circular materials research involving plastics and metals and develop high-quality material models.
• Develop Digital Twins and apply AI-based methods to support design and process decisions.
• Build model-ready databases and develop simulation chains that link process simulations with analysis.
• Create workflows for experimental and simulation validation.
• Contribute to AI-driven tools that integrate performance evaluations, processing windows, and circularity-related data.

• 232 vacation hours per year, based on a 38-hour workweek.
• Possibility to work more or fewer hours in exchange for more or fewer free hours (flexible hours arrangement).
• End-of-year bonus of 8.3% and holiday allowance of 8%.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and professional development.
• Temporary appointment of 1.0 FTE for one year, with the possibility of extension of three years.

The University of Groningen (UG) is an open academic community conducting interdisciplinary research and teaching across a wide range of disciplines. The Faculty of Science and Engineering provides teaching and research from physics and biology to artificial intelligence and mechanical engineering, and collaborates closely with industry, healthcare, and societal partners on challenges such as energy, sustainability, digitization, and medical technology. The community is open and informal, with a large international population of students, PhD researchers, and staff.