INESC TEC is opening a call for the awarding of 1 PhD Research Grant, intended for carrying out R&D activities by students enrolled in a doctoral program in the field of Maritime Infrastructures.

The doctoral candidate’s work plan focuses on the development of an integrated Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for floating wind platforms. It encompasses a comprehensive scope, ranging from literature review and complementary training in hydrodynamics and data analysis, to the implementation and experimental validation of analysis methodologies and numerical modelling. The training plan includes participation in specialised courses, international conferences, and internships, aiming to develop advanced skills in SHM, fluid–structure interaction, and predictive maintenance, as well as the publication of scientific papers. The ultimate goal is to contribute significantly to the safety and efficiency of offshore wind energy production.

The candidate will undertake a training and capacity building period at SINTEF OCEAN in Trondheim, Norway. The supervisory team is composed of Paulo Rosa Santos (FEUP) and Diogo Neves (INESC TEC), together with co-supervisors from INESC TEC and SINTEF Ocean (Norway), as outlined in the work plan.

The main objective of the doctoral research will be to contribute to the development of an integrated monitoring and predictive maintenance system for floating wind structures, with the potential to be adapted to other types and configurations of offshore wind farms. The specific objectives include:

• Designing and implementing an SHM architecture that integrates distributed sensors (on the turbine, tower, floater, moorings, and cables) and combines them with an advanced robotic hub for inspection and data collection in the marine environment.;
• Developing data analysis methodologies and numerical modelling tools for assessing structural behaviour, identifying damage, and predicting failures, using computational simulation and time series analysis techniques;
• Contributing to the experimental validation of the system, including laboratory testing and/or in situ monitoring campaigns;
• Proposing predictive maintenance strategies based on the collected data and developed models, with the aim of optimising operations and reducing maintenance costs;
• Contributing to the development of guidelines for adapting and scaling the system to different types of floating wind platforms and large-scale wind farms.

INESC TEC is opening a call for the awarding of 1 PhD Research Grant, intended for carrying out R&D activities by students enrolled in a doctoral program in the field of Maritime Infrastructures / Offshore Renewable Energy.

The PhD candidate’s work plan aims to develop innovative mooring and anchoring solutions for floating offshore wind turbines, integrating advanced structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. The work includes research into new anchoring concepts adaptable to different soil types, the development of smart mooring cables with embedded sensors, and the integration of structural monitoring data for performance optimization and predictive maintenance.

The plan also includes experimental validation in an ocean laboratory and, if possible, in collaboration with industrial partners. The work to be carried out will include experiments in an ocean laboratory, participation in structural monitoring campaigns, and training in advanced numerical simulation and data analysis tools. The candidate will also have a training and capacity-building period to be defined at SINTEF OCEAN in Trondheim (Norway). The supervisory team is composed of Filipe Manuel Rodrigues Leite Magalhães (FEUP) and Diogo Neves (INESC TEC), together with co-supervisors from INESC TEC and SINTEF Ocean (Norway), as outlined in the work plan.

The main objective of this PhD is to develop and validate innovative mooring and anchoring systems, with integrated structural monitoring, to increase reliability and reduce maintenance costs of floating offshore wind turbines. The specific objectives include:

• Investigate and develop new concepts of hybrid anchoring and smart mooring cables;
• Integrate structural sensors into mooring systems for real-time monitoring;
• Develop numerical models to simulate the dynamic behavior of mooring and anchoring systems under different environmental conditions;
• Analyze and optimize structural performance and predictive maintenance based on monitoring data;
• Validate the proposed solutions through laboratory tests and, if possible, in real environments;
• Contribute to the digitalization and increased reliability of offshore wind turbines.

INESC TEC is awarding a PhD Research Grant in Computer Science.

The selected applicant will be working on the integration of Virtual Choreographies into Digital Twins ecosystem in complex ocean environments. Some of the main tasks also include:

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review on Virtual Choreographies (VCs), Digital Twins (DTs), FAIR data infrastructures, visualisation in structural health monitoring (SHM), and information system architectures,
  leading to a semantic model prototype and initial publications;
• Design and develop an ontology-driven orchestration model linking VC behaviours to digital twin entities,
  ensuring alignment with cloud-native ingestion and storage technologies;
• Design a multiplatform visualisation strategy to guarantee interoperability across different digital twin
  environments;
• Implement a cross-platform visualisation engine capable of rendering VC instances in real time,
  complemented by interactive dashboards for predictive maintenance and anomaly detection;
• Conduct pilot user studies to evaluate usability, effectiveness, and decision-support impact of the developed visualisation tools;
• Integrate outcomes into an operational platform and perform large-scale validation with stakeholders to
  assess performance and applicability;
• Disseminate results through peer-reviewed journals, leading conferences, and international standardisation
  forums, consolidating contributions into the doctoral thesis.

INESC TEC is inviting for applications for a Business Development Expert.

The selected applicant will be working in the Business Development area of INESC TEC and the INESCTEC.OCEAN Centre of Excellence, being responsible for:

• Analysis of key public policies and relevant EU and national instruments for the development of the oceantechnology sector, and identification of funding opportunities;
• Mapping of relevant ecosystem stakeholders, including their characterization and positioning regarding how they may participate in the project’s animation and entrepreneurial discovery process;
• Study of value chains in related sectors to identify major gaps and assess how ocean technologies can help
  address those gaps;
• Support in organizing workshops, focus groups, and seminars involving stakeholders, aimed at needs assessment, opportunity identification, and the design of projects and actions that address identified needs;
• Support for INESC TEC’s participation in projects—namely those under the Atlantic Area Programme, the
  Regional Smart Specialisation Platform, the Regional Innovation Valley—and for the submission of
  applications to publicly funded programmes;
• Support in organizing and participating in national and international events for the INESCTEC.OCEAN project, including identifying and selecting relevant events, defining participation formats, and representing the project at these events;
• Contribution to project management by assisting in the collection and processing of relevant information for monitoring purposes.

The recruited researcher will carry out applied and fundamental research activities in the field of offshore structures hydrodynamics and technology applied to ocean-based energy generation. The work will include the numerical assessment and dynamic simulation of mooring systems, as well as the study of the hydrodynamics of offshore structures and ocean energy converters using specialised software. The researcher will also be responsible for analysing the behaviour of floating platforms, employing numerical simulation techniques and experimental analysis. The researcher will contribute to the implementation and preparation of innovation and technological development projects directly related to the offshore maritime industry. Duties will also include conducting metocean studies and analysing metoceanographic data and their application in the design and operation of structures, as well as the analysis and development of solutions for subsea structures, including submarine cables and other subsea equipment.

The doctoral candidate’s work plan focuses on the development of an integrated Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for floating wind platforms. It encompasses a comprehensive scope, ranging from literature review and complementary training in hydrodynamics and data analysis, to the implementation and experimental validation of analysis methodologies and numerical modelling. The training plan includes participation in specialised courses, international conferences, and internships, aiming to develop advanced skills in SHM, fluid–structure interaction, and predictive maintenance, as well as the publication of scientific papers. The ultimate goal is to contribute significantly to the safety and efficiency of offshore wind energy production. The candidate will undertake a training and capacity-building period at SINTEF OCEAN in Trondheim, Norway. The supervisory team is composed of Paulo Rosa Santos (FEUP) and Diogo Neves (INESCTEC), together with co-supervisors from INESCTEC and SINTEF Ocean (Norway), as outlined in the work plan.