PhD Candidate to conduct research on Artificial Intelligence for managing Shipbuilding Supply Chains

This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim. At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world. You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.     Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0 About the position The Department of Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering is offering an exciting PhD position within  the Norwegian Maritime AI Centre , a national centre with a focus on applied artificial intelligence (AI) in the maritime sector.  The maritime industry is adopting AI technologies. The next decade will bring extensive digitization of operational data in yards, creating opportunities for more data-driven planning. AI can replace or supplement traditional planning approaches, which struggles to manage the uncertainty and variability that are inherent in complex engineer-to-order shipbuilding. Realizing the full potential of AI is both a technical and an integrative challenge. It requires combining what AI excels at, such as pattern recognition and processing data streams, with theories and methods for planning and logistics.  The PhD research will focus on AI-enhanced planning of operations in shipbuilding supply chains, examining how AI techniques can support decision-makers in analyzing real-time and historical data to better coordinate operators, equipment, and facilities, as well as manage operations across multiple projects and supply chain partners. A key part of this research is to investigate how AI can be integrated into planning methods and systems in supply chains, particularly how AI can anticipate disruptions, analyse trade-offs in tactical sourcing decisions, and contribute to improved supply chain performance.  You will join the Production Management Research Group at NTNU, which focuses on the design and planning of production and logistics systems. The research will be carried out together with industry and public partners in the Norwegian Maritime AI Centre. As part of a world-leading research community, you will investigate how AI can reshape planning and logistics in complex shipbuilding supply chains.  Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia. The PhD candidate will be supervised by Professor Erlend Alfnes. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. About the Norwegian Maritime AI Centre The Norwegian Martim AI Center shall position the maritime sector for accelerated and successful use of AI. To demonstrate and prototype maritime AI solutions, the center will address a diverse and impactful set of use cases: Logistics, shipping and business transactions; Ship design and construction; Voyage planning and optimization; Condition monitoring and maintenance; Crew training; Maritime traffic and ship surveillance; Decarbonization and energy management; Autonomous ships and remote control.   The research partners are the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Oslo, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, Norwegian Mapping Authority, MET and SINTEF Nordvest. There are about 30 user partners from the maritime sector, in addition to hundreds of members of the Maritime Forum, Blue Maritime, Ocean Autonomy, and Maritime CleanTech clusters. The center will be a hub, orchestrating the interfaces with research partners and user partners to facilitate collaboration, knowledge creation, dissemination, innovation, and sharing of knowledge. The Norwegian Maritime AI Center is funded by the Research Council of Norway and the partners for the period 2026-2030. There will be approximately 25 doctoral scholarships and some postdoc positions. Duties of the position • Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate • Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above • Apply qualitative methodologies, such as case studies and literature reviews, to gain insight into the characteristics and challenges of the engineer-to-order shipbuilding industry and develop frameworks and knowledge of AI-enhanced planning in shipbuilding supply chains.  • Apply quantitative methodologies, such as simulation, analytical modelling, and AI‑driven techniques, to develop decision support for efficient planning and coordination of production activities in supply chains and generate managerial insights and practical guidelines for practitioners. • Take part in the mandatory PhD research education program  • Conduct independent research and publish the result in recognised scientific journals and present them at international conferences • Participate in the Norwegian Maritime AI Centre activities  • Participate in the  research group Production Management   • Other career-promoting work can be discussed and agreed Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment. Required selection criteria • You must have a relevant Master's degree in Industrial Engineering, Logistics Engineering, Production Management, Supply Chain Management, Mechanical Engineering, Project management or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than 1st December 2026. • You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale . If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you maybe considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education. • You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme • Excellent written and oral English language skills • You must meet the requirements to obtain NATO security clearance for access to the facilities of the partner companies • Experience in using a combination of qualitative methodologies, such as case studies and design science, and quantitative methodologies, such as simulation and advanced analytics, within the fields of operations and supply chain management  PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”. The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position. Preferred selection criteria • Experience with machine learning or other relevant AI technologies • Scandinavian language skills • Previous experience from industry or research in engineer-to-order manufacturing. This can be proven by the attendance of study courses or other relevant activities, such as a master’s thesis. Personal characteristics To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:  • Ability to work independently as well as in teams • Good communication skills and ability to work in close contact with industry • Hard working, with drive and determination • Modest, open to feedback and input from others as well as able to respect, collaborate, and negotiate with others • Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities. We off