We are looking for a highly motivated and curious PhD candidate to contribute to the next generation of real-time, AI-driven decision support for multimodal construction logistics. The successful candidate will join the Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences (IEMS) section of the High-tech Business & Entrepreneurship (HBE) department at the University of Twente and will be in collaboration with Pervasive Systems Research Group at EEMCS Faculty.
This PhD position is part of the MULTIPLIER project, a large cross-disciplinary initiative addressing one of the key challenges of the Dutch construction transition: scaling prefabricated modular housing while drastically reducing logistics-related emissions.
With the ambition to deliver up to 50,000 prefab houses per year, modular construction creates large, predictable transport flows. MULTIPLIER leverages this as a demand-side trigger, while inland waterway transport (IWT) serves as the supply-side multiplier, offering scalable capacity and significant emission reduction.
The project focuses on end-to-end planning, connecting prefab factory production schedules with urban construction projects through an AI-driven decision-support system that synchronises production planning, IWT capacity, terminal availability, and urban delivery constraints.
The consortium includes University of Twente, Hogeschool Utrecht, prefab housing factories Plegt-Vos and HDO Groep, IT solution providers (Cape Groep, Bureau Voorlichting Binnenvaart), logistics and terminal partners (Peterson Nederland, Port of Twente, Metropolitan Hub System), municipalities (Amsterdam, Leiden, Den Haag), , Logistics Overijssel and Logistics Navigators. The academic supervision team includes Dr. Engin Topan and Dr. Rob Benthuis.
MULTIPLIER integrates operational data, optimization, and hybrid AI into a decision-support environment that advises when inland shipping is feasible, and how to bundle, schedule, and synchronise multimodal prefab logistics in zero-emission contexts. This requires an end-to-end planning.
In this PhD project, you will:
- Develop real-time optimization and hybrid AI models for end-to-end multimodal transport planning under uncertainty.
- Design synchronization, consolidation, and matchmaking algorithms that align prefab factory production schedules with IWT capacity, terminals, and urban delivery windows.
- Model multi-level planning decisions, connecting early feasibility assessment and quotation with tactical release planning and real-time operational dispatching.
- Incorporate urban and site-specific constraints, such as quay availability, zero-emission zones, access windows, and reverse logistics flows.
- Build explainable, scenario-based decision support that helps planners decide when and how IWT can be applied effectively.
- Work closely with a large multi-actor consortium, including factories, logistics providers, ports, and municipalities.
- Contribute to Living Lab pilots that demonstrate real-world applicability and scalable logistics impact.
We expect the PhD candidate to deliver the main deliverables to the consortium before 31 December 2028. In the remaining time of this position, the PhD candidate can write and finalize the thesis.
Information and application
Are you interested in joining our team? Please submit your application before 25 January, 2026 and include:
- A cover /motivation letter (maximum 2 pages A4), emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications, and motivations to apply for this position;
- A Curriculum Vitae (CV), if applicable, a list of publications and references;
- A course list with grades (both BSc and MSc);
- An IELTS-test, Internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT), or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). Applicants with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, TOEFL Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).
Additional information can be acquired from
- Dr. Engin Topan – e.topan@utwente.nl
- Dr. Rob Bemthuis r.h.bemthuis@utwente.nl
About the department
The HBE department is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive working culture. Our aim is that all job applicants are given equal opportunities. When we select candidates for employment, it will be on the basis of their competence and ability. To support workforce diversity, we are open to offering flexible working conditions on an individual basis to support work-life balance, which may include contract of employment, working hours and location, or child care arrangements. The HBE department fosters an inclusive, collaborative research culture and supports flexible working arrangements. It specializes in bridging data-driven decision-making, operations management, and human-centered design to solve real-world challenges in production and logistics.
About the organisation
At the Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS), we unite the worlds of people and technology to address today’s complex societal challenges. We are passionate about understanding human behaviour, fostering responsible innovation, and designing solutions that create societal value. Our educational programmes span disciplines such as Psychology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Communication Sciences, Philosophy, Educational Sciences, and Health Sciences. Through our bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Professional Learning & Development programmes, and interdisciplinary research themes – including Emerging Technologies & Societal Transformations, Resilience, Smart Industry, Learning, and Health – we empower students and researchers to make a positive societal impact.
At BMS, we combine critical thinking with practical action. From advancing sustainable mobility with innovations like the world’s most efficient hydrogen car to shaping policies that promote digital inclusion, our work contributes to a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable future. Whether it’s exploring how technology influences human behaviour or leveraging data and innovation to transform industries and communities, we ensure that technology serves people – and not the other way around.
As an employer, BMS offers a vibrant, inclusive, and entrepreneurial environment where you can thrive personally and professionally. Join us and become part of a forward-thinking community that equips you to shape the future – for yourself and society. With us, you will become part of a leading technical university with increasing, positive social impact.
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