PhD in Industrial Systems, with a specific focus on Digital twin platform for electric vehicle batteries

Mälardalen University is growing and evolving due to increased research funding from the Swedish Government. Join our team on this exciting journey towards MDU`s vision, to be a progressive and collaborative University where together we shape a sustainable future. You can make a difference. Together, we can create a sustainable future through knowledge and innovation. We believe that knowledge and new perspectives are best attained and reached together in collaboration with others – our colleagues, students, the private and public sectors, both nationally and internationally.

Around 17 000 students are currently studying courses and programmes with us in the various domains. We offer education in areas such as design and communication, economics, health, engineering and technology, preschool and compulsory school teacher training as well as in chamber music and opera. In most of our areas we also offer programmes entirely taught in English. We conduct research in all disciplinary domains and our research in Future Energy and Embedded Systems is internationally prominent.

Mälardalen University is located in Sweden, on both sides of Lake Mälaren, with campuses in Eskilstuna and Västerås. Mälardalen is a region dominated by strong growth with several multinational companies based here such as ABB, Volvo, Westinghouse, Alstom and Northvolt. We enjoy close cooperation with the region’s private sector, municipalities, and county councils.

At the School of Innovation, Design and Engineering our students are studying to be for example innovators, entrepreneurs, illustrators, communications officers, network technicians and engineers. Here we have the research specialisations of Embedded Systems, and Innovation and Product Realisation. Our work takes place in cooperation with and in strategic agreements with companies, organisations and public authorities in the region.

Employment: Temporary employment
Scope: Full time
Closing date for application: 2023-11-01
Campus location: Eskilstuna
School: School of Innovation, Design and Engineering, (IDT), Innovation and Product Realisation (IPR)

In the Innovation and Product Realisation (IPR) research environment at Mälardalen University, we have actively engaged in various projects exploring the concepts of the circular economy and circular business modelss. Specifically, within the Digital and Circular Industrial Services (DigiCircle) research group, our primary focus is on advancing electric vehicle battery circularity through processes encompassing repair, remanufacturing, repurposing, and recycling processes.

In our recently funded research project, Circul8 (Smart battery circularity), we are collaborating with major industrial companies such as Volvo CE, Epiroc Rock Drills, Northvolt Revolt, and ABB E-mobility. Our goal is to explore and apply advanced digital or Industry 4.0 technologies, including the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and Big Data analytics, to facilitate battery circularity. Specifically, we aim to develop a scalable digital twin-based platform to enable analytics for fleets of batteries with the objective of optimizing battery use throughout the lifecycle. Our aim is to make significant contributions to the scientific domains of computational modelling, machine learning operations, cloud computing, real-time optimization, industrial AI systems, with specific emphasis on electric vehicle batteries.

We are currently in search of a PhD student to join our team and work on this topic, with a preliminary start date 2023-12-01 or as mutually agreed upon. The PhD student will actively participate in designing, conducting, and disseminating the research work. As part of the employment, the student will be responsible for writing academic papers to present research findings, completing the necessary course work for the PhD degree, and engaging in teaching at the undergraduate level. The PhD position is a full-time temporary appointment for a duration of 4 years, with the possibility of extension to five years if there is an opportunity to allocate 20% of the time to teaching or administrative assignments. The selected candidate will engage in research activities in collaboration with industrial manufacturing companies and other relevant organizations.

Only those who are or have been admitted to third-cycle courses and study programmes at a higher education may be appointed to doctoral studentships. For futher information see Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100).

A candidate for the positions must have:

• A Master´s degree in computer science, embedded systems, software engineering or related fields of research topics
• Strong interests in research
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English
• Ability to work independently and in teams that might be cross-disciplinary
• Ability to establish and maintain contacts and networks with research partners in academia, industry, or other organisations

Decisive importance is attached to personal suitability. We value the qualities that an even distribution of age and gender, as well as ethnic and cultural diversity, can contribute to the organization.

The following knowledge and experience are valuable conducting research in the stated topic, and will be considered as strong merits in the evaluation of candidates:

• Real-time simulation and optimization, Digital twin
• Machine learning, federated learning, and big data analysis
• Cloud computing and cloud-based service architecture
• Industry 4.0 or advanced digital technology integration and implementation
• Trusted smart industrial systems
• Industrial IoT or AI

Other qualifying merits are:

• Interests in pedagogics and teaching
• Interests in pursuing a career in academia
• Knowledge in industrial systems, production engineering, energy engineering

The case studies will be based on situations in Sweden, and to be able to use existing documentation etc., good knowledge in the Swedish language and how Swedish society works is a strong merit.

Application is made online. Make your application by clicking the "Apply" button below.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and will reach the University no later than closing date for application.

We look forward to receiving your application.

We decline all contact with recruiters and salespersons of advertisements. We have made our strategic choices for this recruitment.

Union representatives:

Michaël Le Duc (SACO), tel: +46 (0) 21-10 14 02
Susanne Meijer (OFR), Tel: +46 (0) 21-10 14 89

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