MSc Projects : Acceleration of the SORA (Specific Operational Risk Assessment) process for the [...]

European Commission; Canada; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The European Commission is seeking a research candidate to work on a cutting-edge project at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation. This role focuses on developing an automated risk analysis system for drone operations, requiring a Bachelor's degree in engineering and experience in aeronautics. Successful candidates will engage in collaborative research and contribute to advancing air mobility technology.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or mechanical engineering.
• Experience in aeronautics with digital twins or robotics simulation environments.
• Ability to communicate in English or French.

Responsibilities

• Conduct a thorough analysis of the SORA process.
• Develop a software model of an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV).
• Automate risk assessment reporting.

Skills

Adaptability

Teamwork

Communication

Research and Development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Simulation Engineering

Job description

Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT)

Organisation/Company Université de Sherbrooke Department Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) Research Field Engineering » Electrical engineering Engineering » Mechanical engineering Engineering » Simulation engineering Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Master Positions Country Canada Application Deadline 30 Jul 2025 - 00:00 (America/Toronto) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37 Offer Starting Date 1 Sep 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Context:

Numerical simulations are commonly used in the aeronautics industry, for example to analyze the integrity of fuselages or even the risk of collision with birds near an airport. However, there is no integrated method for numerically analyzing the risk associated with drone operations beyond direct visibility (Beyond Visual Line-Of-Sight – BVLOS), a necessary step in the Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) process for authorizing a mission. In this context, our research project, in partnership with CAE and Unither Bioelectronics, aims to develop a complete processing pipeline for the production of synthetic data from a sophisticated simulation environment of a flight corridor, including weather conditions, ground infrastructure, airspace traffic interactions and even the quality of communication links to operate the drone, all of this fed by both historical and live data.

Topic:
The aim of this research project is to explore the automation of mission risk analysis from the generation of synthetic data from a simulator. This involves :

• a thorough analysis of the SORA process leading to a system architecture for a data production and analysis pipeline for risk assessment;
• a complete software model of an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) and its interactions with other airborne entities;
• a multimodal simulation of the targeted environment (terrain, infrastructure, meteorological conditions and air traffic from real and historical data);
• an automated risk assessment for field experts to produce reports and visualization of critical operations.

Six master's projects will be supervised by Pr. François Ferland, Pr. David Rancourt and Pr. Adina Panchea, as part of Alliance Project between Université de Sherbrooke, CAE & Unither Bioélectronique on acceleration of the Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) mission risk analysis process for the future of air mobility.

The work will be carried out at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) of the University of Sherbrooke and in collaboration with industry-leading professionals from our world-class partners CAE and Unither Bioelectronics. The student will thus benefit from an exceptional research environment bringing together students, professionals, professors and industrialists working hand in hand to develop the technologies of the future.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Engineering » Electrical engineering Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Mechanical engineering Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Simulation engineering Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Desired Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or mechanical engineering
• Experience in aeronautic with digital twins or robotics simulation environments
• Ability to communicate in English or French both orally and in writing
• Strong ability to adapt, be autonomous and work in a team
• Pronounced taste for design, research and development

Specific Requirements

• Experience in aeronautic with digital twins or robotics simulation environments

Languages FRENCH Level Excellent

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke, Canada (QC) Country Canada State/Province Québec City Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada Postal Code J1K 2R1 Street 2500, boul. de l'Université Geofield