PhD position on optimizing cooling processes and supply chains of heat-sensitive biological products by digital twins 100%
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"As Switzerland's incubator for innovation, Empa's research provides answers to the most pressing challenges facing
industry." Prof. Dr. Katharina Maniura, Biointerfaces "Empa's research on the highest international level plays a
leading role in the advancement of technology." Prof. Dr. Ayodhya Nath Tiwari, Thin Films and Photovoltaics "Empa's
materials science and technology research is of great benefit to society in the fields of energy, mobility,
environment, construction and health." Prof. Dr. Bernd Nowack, Technology and Society "For my research projects I use
first-class equipment. This is extremely important in dynamic 3D radiography." Dr. Ameet Aiyangar, Mechanical Systems
Engineering "Empa offers good employment conditions and supports equal opportunities. I consider this very important."
Irene Ferretto, Advanced Materials Processing "Empa has sites in three attractive regions in Switzerland. This also
ensures a good quality of life." Dr. Shanyu Zhao, Building Energy Materials and Components "We enjoy working in a team.
For us it is important that Empa pursues topics like sustainability and innovation." Michael Levy and Nikola Tatalovic,
Finances/Controlling "My work is exciting and highly diverse - and I am right there when research projects are being
implemented in NEST, Empa's research and innovation building." Yannic Trüb, Real Estate Management "At Empa I value the
good work environment and international collaboration." Subas Scheibler, Particles-Biology Interactions
PhD position on optimizing cooling processes and supply chains of heat-sensitive biological products by digital twins
Share Apply now Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100
employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research
institution of the ETH Domain.Empa's Laboratory of Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles is a pioneer in physics-based
modeling at multiple scales. We bridge the virtual to the real world by multi-parameter sensing and creating digital
twins of heat-sensitive biological systems (food, humans) that can live together with their real-world counterparts.
This project aims to better identify how perishable biological products react inside cold chain unit operations and to
pinpoint why some products decay faster. For that purpose, we develop digital twins of the cargo, based on measured air
temperature and humidity data in cold chains by commercial sensors, and deploy them in end-to-end virtual supply chains.
This project also aims to better understand the tradeoffs related to cooling technology for several use cases, for
example, with smallholder farmers in the Global South. For that, detailed supply chain assessments will be performed.
The work will enable us to identify better how individual perishable products react inside a cargo of millions in cold
chain unit operations and to pinpoint why some products decay faster than others. This information will be used to
quantify the environmental and economic impact of optimized cooling solutions and refrigerated supply chain solutions.
Your tasks
The priorities of the tasks will be flexibly decided depending on the concrete opportunities at hand after starting:
- Develop multiphysics models for the complete supply chain of selected heat-sensitive biological products. This
includes hygrothermal transport in the ensemble of packed products during cooling, convective exchange with the
environment, biochemical quality attribute evolution within the products, and thermally-driven damage
(chilling-freezing injury).
- Use these models to build physics-based digital twins of all products in a shipment that age in-silico with the real
product, end-to-end in the supply chain. Sensor data feed these digital twins. They translate these data, in a
mechanistic way, to product quality attributes, such as remaining shelf life.
- Process measured sensor data of commercial cold chains, analyze data for variability, and reformat data in databases.
- Use the simulation-based approach to (1) better understand and steer refrigeration processes or packaging design by
optimizing for product quality loss and waste, and (2) connect the improved quality preservation from digital twins, so
extra shelf life, to economical advantages.
- Perform an end-to-end supply-chain assessment method to map tradeoffs for different cooling technologies for
selected stakeholders to get a holistic view of the optimal cooling technology.
- Integrate these digital twins into other platforms, such as mobile applications.
- Extend the digital twin work for heat stress predictions of humans to assess the health and performance of humans in
several situations (e.g. firefighters, who are exposed to extreme heat, or older adults who are exposed to heat stress
during heat waves) by modeling the environment, clothing, and skin (and body), including convection, radiation, and
conduction in materials.
Your profile
- Completed Master`s degree in mechanical engineering
- Proven experience in continuum modeling (finite element modeling, computational fluid dynamics).
- Knowledge of heat and mass transport processes in heat-sensitive materials and process optimization.
- Experience in supply chains and hygrothermal measurements is advantageous (temperature, infrared, anemometry).
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in English (both written and oral) are mandatory. Knowledge of German is
considered advantageous.
- You have a flair for communicating with industrial and other partners.
Our offer
A project duration of 3 years is envisaged to carry out the above research tasks in the form of a PhD thesis. The
project is supported by Empa under the supervision of Prof. Thijs Defraeye (academic supervisor). It involves a joint
affiliation with ETH Zürich (D-USYS). The candidate will perform the research at Empa in St. Gallen. The desired
starting date is 1st of October 2025 or upon mutual Agreement. This project is performed in close collaboration with
industrial and other partners.We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in
innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities - that's what counts.We look forward to receiving your complete
online application including a letter of motivation, CV, certificates, diplomas and contact details of two reference
persons. Please submit these exclusively via our job portal. Applications by e-mail and by post will not be
considered.SarahStüdli, Bereichspersonalleiterin / HR Partner
Questions?
Prof. Dr.ThijsDefraeye
Group leader
Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles
Your future place of work
Empa
Lerchenfeldstrasse 5
9014St. Gallen
Empa as an employer
Innovative, sustainable, meaningful activities Creating added value for society International, multicultural working
environment Freedom to create and develop Culture of inclusion and respect Excellent balance between different areas of
life Multiple award-winning and certified employer Benefits for rail, mobile, childcare, catering, etc.
Good to know
Empa website
Working in Switzerland
Employment process
Conditions of employment
Apply now
industry." Prof. Dr. Katharina Maniura, Biointerfaces "Empa's research on the highest international level plays a
leading role in the advancement of technology." Prof. Dr. Ayodhya Nath Tiwari, Thin Films and Photovoltaics "Empa's
materials science and technology research is of great benefit to society in the fields of energy, mobility,
environment, construction and health." Prof. Dr. Bernd Nowack, Technology and Society "For my research projects I use
first-class equipment. This is extremely important in dynamic 3D radiography." Dr. Ameet Aiyangar, Mechanical Systems
Engineering "Empa offers good employment conditions and supports equal opportunities. I consider this very important."
Irene Ferretto, Advanced Materials Processing "Empa has sites in three attractive regions in Switzerland. This also
ensures a good quality of life." Dr. Shanyu Zhao, Building Energy Materials and Components "We enjoy working in a team.
For us it is important that Empa pursues topics like sustainability and innovation." Michael Levy and Nikola Tatalovic,
Finances/Controlling "My work is exciting and highly diverse - and I am right there when research projects are being
implemented in NEST, Empa's research and innovation building." Yannic Trüb, Real Estate Management "At Empa I value the
good work environment and international collaboration." Subas Scheibler, Particles-Biology Interactions
PhD position on optimizing cooling processes and supply chains of heat-sensitive biological products by digital twins
Share Apply now Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100
employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research
institution of the ETH Domain.Empa's Laboratory of Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles is a pioneer in physics-based
modeling at multiple scales. We bridge the virtual to the real world by multi-parameter sensing and creating digital
twins of heat-sensitive biological systems (food, humans) that can live together with their real-world counterparts.
This project aims to better identify how perishable biological products react inside cold chain unit operations and to
pinpoint why some products decay faster. For that purpose, we develop digital twins of the cargo, based on measured air
temperature and humidity data in cold chains by commercial sensors, and deploy them in end-to-end virtual supply chains.
This project also aims to better understand the tradeoffs related to cooling technology for several use cases, for
example, with smallholder farmers in the Global South. For that, detailed supply chain assessments will be performed.
The work will enable us to identify better how individual perishable products react inside a cargo of millions in cold
chain unit operations and to pinpoint why some products decay faster than others. This information will be used to
quantify the environmental and economic impact of optimized cooling solutions and refrigerated supply chain solutions.
Your tasks
The priorities of the tasks will be flexibly decided depending on the concrete opportunities at hand after starting:
- Develop multiphysics models for the complete supply chain of selected heat-sensitive biological products. This
includes hygrothermal transport in the ensemble of packed products during cooling, convective exchange with the
environment, biochemical quality attribute evolution within the products, and thermally-driven damage
(chilling-freezing injury).
- Use these models to build physics-based digital twins of all products in a shipment that age in-silico with the real
product, end-to-end in the supply chain. Sensor data feed these digital twins. They translate these data, in a
mechanistic way, to product quality attributes, such as remaining shelf life.
- Process measured sensor data of commercial cold chains, analyze data for variability, and reformat data in databases.
- Use the simulation-based approach to (1) better understand and steer refrigeration processes or packaging design by
optimizing for product quality loss and waste, and (2) connect the improved quality preservation from digital twins, so
extra shelf life, to economical advantages.
- Perform an end-to-end supply-chain assessment method to map tradeoffs for different cooling technologies for
selected stakeholders to get a holistic view of the optimal cooling technology.
- Integrate these digital twins into other platforms, such as mobile applications.
- Extend the digital twin work for heat stress predictions of humans to assess the health and performance of humans in
several situations (e.g. firefighters, who are exposed to extreme heat, or older adults who are exposed to heat stress
during heat waves) by modeling the environment, clothing, and skin (and body), including convection, radiation, and
conduction in materials.
Your profile
- Completed Master`s degree in mechanical engineering
- Proven experience in continuum modeling (finite element modeling, computational fluid dynamics).
- Knowledge of heat and mass transport processes in heat-sensitive materials and process optimization.
- Experience in supply chains and hygrothermal measurements is advantageous (temperature, infrared, anemometry).
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in English (both written and oral) are mandatory. Knowledge of German is
considered advantageous.
- You have a flair for communicating with industrial and other partners.
Our offer
A project duration of 3 years is envisaged to carry out the above research tasks in the form of a PhD thesis. The
project is supported by Empa under the supervision of Prof. Thijs Defraeye (academic supervisor). It involves a joint
affiliation with ETH Zürich (D-USYS). The candidate will perform the research at Empa in St. Gallen. The desired
starting date is 1st of October 2025 or upon mutual Agreement. This project is performed in close collaboration with
industrial and other partners.We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in
innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities - that's what counts.We look forward to receiving your complete
online application including a letter of motivation, CV, certificates, diplomas and contact details of two reference
persons. Please submit these exclusively via our job portal. Applications by e-mail and by post will not be
considered.SarahStüdli, Bereichspersonalleiterin / HR Partner
Questions?
Prof. Dr.ThijsDefraeye
Group leader
Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles
Your future place of work
Empa
Lerchenfeldstrasse 5
9014St. Gallen
Empa as an employer
Innovative, sustainable, meaningful activities Creating added value for society International, multicultural working
environment Freedom to create and develop Culture of inclusion and respect Excellent balance between different areas of
life Multiple award-winning and certified employer Benefits for rail, mobile, childcare, catering, etc.
Good to know
Empa website
Working in Switzerland
Employment process
Conditions of employment
Apply now