1. You hold a Master’s degree in Science, Engineering, or equivalent degree which you obtained with a high GPA.
2. You have experience or a strong interest in product design, ecodesign, sustainability assessment, and/or product lifecycle analysis.
3. You are comfortable working in a multidisciplinary team and engaging with industry partners.
4. You are proactive, creative, and eager to explore innovative solutions. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply, as we believe that different perspectives contribute to better research and innovation.
5. You are fluent in English.
This research position will contribute to the development of tools and methodologies for evaluating and optimizing product (eco)design and to develop related strategies for sustainable product development. The main tasks include:
6. Supporting literature review on state-of-the-art ecodesign methodologies and sustainability evaluation.
7. Developing and refining evaluation frameworks for assessing the ease of (robotic) product disassembly and recyclability.
8. Investigating the integration of prior developed and novel ecodesign methodologies in CAD software solutions and other digital tools.
9. Applying developed methodologies to specific use cases in collaboration with industrial partners.
10. Assessing the impact of proposed design changes through lifecycle impact analysis.
11. Defining strategies and guidelines to improve data integration and decision-making processes
Joining our team means becoming part of a dynamic research group working on the topic of Life Cycle Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Núria Boix Rodríguez and Prof. Dr. Jef Peeters.
12. You will be part of a collaborative and inclusive multidisciplinary research team, where diverse perspectives and expertise come together to drive innovative solutions to support the transition towards a circular economy.
13. You will conduct independent research, reviewing literature, patents, company releases, and conference materials to support your work.
14. You will be responsible for developing methodologies and applying them to assess the sustainability of products and their end-of-life strategies.
15. You will present your findings to industrial partners, at project meetings.
16. You will have the opportunity to engage in research and when the targeted follow-up projects and funding is successfully acquired a possibility can be offered to work toward obtaining a PhD (optional).
Building a sustainable and circular economy demands innovative approaches to product design and the development of innovative end-of-(first)-life strategies. At the same time, Ecodesign plays a critical role to both minimize environmental impact while protecting people and prosperity. To support the research and development on Ecodesign, we are looking for a motivated researcher to join our team, focusing on sustainability assessment, ecodesign evaluation and assessment methodologies, and to develop guidelines and practical tools to support the integration of sustainability KPIs into the product development process.The KU Leuven research group on Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) within the Department of Mechanical Engineering has built significant expertise in reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling. In collaboration with industrial partners, the group has developed cutting-edge methodologies and technologies to support circular economy initiatives and related policy developments. To further support these efforts, KU Leuven has recently established the Re- and Demanufacturing Lab in Leuven-Heverlee, equipped with state-of-the-art automation, spectroscopic, computer vision, and ICT tools for material characterization, robotic sorting, and robotic demanufacturing in support of various ReX strategies. Our ambition is to further develop this lab, along with related software and expertise, to support system integrators, reuse and recycling companies, and original equipment manufacturers in creating the next generation of sustainable products and processes.
17. A short-term contract (six months) with the possibility of extension. Extension possibilities will depend on project funding availability.
18. A stimulating research environment with strong industry connections.
19. The chance to work in an innovative and sustainability-driven research team.