Cross-disciplinary digital twins for mechanical design: integrating technical performance with economic aspects

KU LEUVEN; Belgique; Sur place; EUR 20 000 - 27 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Competitive remuneration

PhD opportunity at KU Leuven

Arenberg Doctoral School training

Résumé du poste

KU Leuven invites applications for a First Stage Researcher (R1) to pursue a PhD in Future Engineering Design, merging mechanical engineering, economics, and materials science. The project emphasizes a cross-disciplinary digital twin framework that integrates lifecycle data from design to end-of-life.

You will work within joint engineering and economics teams, report progress weekly to monthly, and advance research with independence and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in engineering or business engineering.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Interest or experience in mechanical design or business model innovations in manufacturing.

Responsabilités

• Conduct doctoral research within cross-disciplinary team (engineering and economics).
• Develop a cross-disciplinary digital twin framework for design and lifecycle cost analysis.
• Plan work for 1–3 months with regular reporting and adapt plans as needed.

Connaissances

English proficiency

Multidisciplinary mindset

Structured approach to research

Independent planning

Team collaboration

Formation

Master's degree in engineering or business engineering

Description du poste

Organisation/Company KU LEUVEN Research Field Economics » Applied economics Economics » Industrial economics Engineering » Mechanical engineering Engineering » Simulation engineering Engineering » Systems engineering Engineering » Design engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 30 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Reference Number BAP-2026-595 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

• This PhD project is part of the ‘PACCAR Chair: Future Engineering Design’ bringing together expertise from the fields of mechanical engineering, economics and materials science to find the complex balance between performance, cost, comfort and sustainability in mechanical product development.
• A central aspect of this research will be the development of a cross-disciplinary digital twin framework to support mechanical design based on the full product lifecycle. The project will investigate how digital twins can reshape and enhance the engineering design process by integrating technical and economic considerations within a coherent framework at both component and system level. Starting from historical data on design choices, production processes, operational use, maintenance interventions and associated costs, the research will explore how technical and economic perspectives can be combined in a decision-support environment. Particular attention will be paid to assessing how design alternatives influence reliability, performance, lifecycle cost, downtime and maintenance requirements. The project will therefore develop methodologies that translate comprehensive lifecycle knowledge into robust engineering decisions, enabling sound trade-offs between performance, reliability and value creation over the entire lifecycle. The framework can also provide opportunities to evaluate circularity-related considerations, including reuse, refurbishment and end-of-life strategies. In this way, the research aims to move beyond a purely "build-to-last" philosophy towards design strategies that explicitly optimize system-level lifecycle value, without requiring the continuous assessment of the degradation state of every individual component
• The research will be jointly supervised by members of the Faculties of Engineering Science, Engineering Technology and the Faculty of Economics and Business. For this, the researcher will be embedded in both engineering and economics research teams. The researcher is expected to divide their time between both teams.

If you recognize yourself in the story below, then you have the profile that fits the project and the research groups.

• I have a master degree in engineering or business engineering and performed above average in comparison to my peers. I do not hold a doctoral degree at the time of recruitment.
• I am proficient in written and spoken English.
• I have a profound interest, or I have gained experience through my courses or prior professional activities, in either mechanical design and analysis or business model innovations in the manufacturing industry.
• I have a multidisciplinary mindset and enjoy exploring innovative ideas that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of core engineering and economic disciplines.
• I perform research in a structured and scientifically sound manner. I read technical papers, understand the nuances between different theories and implement and improve methodologies myself.
• Based on interactions and discussions with my supervisors and colleagues in the team, I can develop and update a plan of approach for the upcoming 1 to 3 months to work towards my research goals. I work with a sufficient degree of independence to follow my plan and achieve my goals. I indicate timely when deviations of the plan are required, if goals cannot be met or if I want to discuss intermediate results or issues.
• In frequent reporting, varying between weekly to monthly, I show the results that I have obtained and I give a well-founded interpretation of those results. I refine my work and approach based on the feedback of my supervisors, who guide the direction of my research.
• I feel comfortable working as a team member, and I am eager to share my results to inspire and be inspired by my colleagues.
• During my PhD, I aim to advance my involvement in the project I am working on and represent the research group at project meetings and conferences. I view these events as an opportunity to disseminate my work to an international audience of experts and research colleagues, and to gain insight into the broader context of my research and the research project.
• A remuneration package competitive with industry standards in Belgium, a country with a high quality of life and an excellent health care system.
• An opportunity to pursue a PhD at KU Leuven in either Mechanical Engineering or Economics and Business, typically a 4-year trajectory, in a stimulating and ambitious research environment.
• Ample opportunities to develop yourself in a scientific and/or an industrial direction. Besides the opportunities offered by the research group, further doctoral training for PhD candidates is provided within the framework of the KU Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School ( https://set.kuleuven.be/phd ), which is known for its strong focus on both future scientists and scientifically trained professionals who will valorise their doctoral expertise and competences in a non-academic context. More information on the training opportunities can be found on the following link: https://set.kuleuven.be/phd/dopl/whytraining .

• A remuneration package competitive with industry standards in Belgium, a country with a high quality of life and an excellent health care system.
• An opportunity to pursue a PhD at KU Leuven in either Mechanical Engineering or Economics and Business, typically a 4-year trajectory, in a stimulating and ambitious research environment.
• Ample opportunities to develop yourself in a scientific and/or an industrial direction. Besides the opportunities offered by the research group, further doctoral training for PhD candidates is provided within the framework of the KU Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School ( https://set.kuleuven.be/phd ), which is known for its strong focus on both future scientists and scientifically trained professionals who will valorise their doctoral expertise and competences in a non-academic context. More information on the training opportunities can be found on the following link: https://set.kuleuven.be/phd/dopl/whytraining .