Data Research Internship

PortXL; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 6,000 - 7,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Access to international network

Personal and professional development

Opportunities to attend maritime events

Job summary

PortXL in Rotterdam is seeking a Data & Research intern to support maritime innovation through research and data analysis. As an intern, you'll conduct research on technology trends, clean and analyze data, and build dashboards to provide actionable insights.

Ideal candidates are pursuing their Bachelor’s or Master’s in fields like Economics or Data Science and possess strong analytical skills. You will work with an energetic team committed to transforming the maritime industry. Compensation is €575 per month based on 36 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in the later phases of your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
• A sharp analytical mind with curiosity for data insights.
• Comfortable with data tools such as Excel, Python, R, or Tableau.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth research on maritime technology trends.
• Collect, clean, and analyze data from various sources.
• Build and maintain data dashboards or reports.

Skills

Data analysis

Research skills

Analytical mindset

Attention to detail

Curiosity for data insights

Written and spoken English

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in relevant field

Tools

Excel

Python

R

Tableau

Job description

Help shape the future of maritime innovation.

About PortXL

PortXL is the world’s first port & maritime accelerator, founded in 2015 and based in Rotterdam. We bridge the gap between ambitious start-ups and scale-ups and the established maritime industry, working alongside corporate partners, investors and ecosystem leaders to make maritime climate-positive. We search, match and accelerate the newest technologies from around the world.

What You’ll Be Doing

As our Data & Research intern, you help PortXL stay ahead of the curve in maritime innovation. You will combine desk research, data analysis and insight synthesis to support strategic decisions — from identifying emerging technology trends to producing intelligence reports for our corporate partners.

• Conduct in-depth research on maritime technology trends, start-up ecosystems and innovation funding landscapes;
• Collect, clean and analyse structured and unstructured data from public and proprietary sources;
• Build and maintain data dashboards or reports that give the PortXL team actionable insight;
• Support partner-facing deliverables such as market analyses, trend reports and technology radars;
• Contribute to PortXL’s thought leadership by synthesising research into clear, engaging summaries;
• Collaborate with the Scouting team to enrich the start-up database with market and technology context;
• Monitor innovation signals from publications, patent filings, funding announcements and events.

We Offer

• An energetic, mission-driven team with a shared ambition to transform the maritime industry;
• Access to an international network of start-ups, scale-ups and maritime innovators;
• Involvement with our corporate partners, including the Port of Rotterdam, City of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Defense;
• Room to discover your interests, think creatively and take real ownership;
• An inspiring workspace at the Innovation Dock, RDM Campus, Rotterdam;
• Opportunities to attend maritime events, demo days and ecosystem gatherings;
• Personal and professional development;
• Compensation: €575 per month based on 36 hours per week. Part-time is possible with a minimum of 24 hours per week; our preference is 32–36 hours. A minimum of 3 days per week from the office;
• Duration: minimum 5 months, with a preference for 6–7 months.

What You Bring

• Currently enrolled in the later phases of your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, for example in Economics, Data Science, Innovation Studies, Business Analytics or a related field;
• More important than your exact field of study: you have a sharp analytical mind and a genuine curiosity for turning messy data into meaningful insight — that drive is what we’re looking for;
• Comfortable with data tools — Excel, Python, R, Tableau or similar;
• Detail-oriented and structured in your approach, while able to see the bigger picture;
• Interest in maritime, energy, logistics or sustainability sectors;
• Excellent written and spoken English; Dutch is a plus.