Doctoral Researcher in Maritime Digital Twins (m/f)

Job Description: The Research Department of CoE MARBLE - Centre of Excellence in Maritime Robotics and Technologies for Sustainable Blue Economy - invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher position in the field of Maritime Digital Twins. The position focuses on the development of methodologies and technologies for next-generation digital representations of marine and coastal environments, integrating simulation, sensing, robotics, and data-driven models into unified maritime digital twin frameworks. The research will contribute to ongoing and future MARBLE activities related to smart coastal infrastructure, autonomous maritime systems, underwater mapping and inspection, environmental monitoring and immersive visualization technologies. About the Position: Maritime Digital Twins (MDTs) are emerging as an important enabling technology for monitoring, simulation, planning, and decision support in marine and coastal environments. Modern MDT systems combine heterogeneous sensor data, robotics platforms, simulation environments, and advanced visualization tools to create representations of physical maritime systems. The goal of this research position is to contribute to the development of scalable and interoperable MDT architectures for real-world maritime applications. Depending on the candidate’s interests and background, the research may include topics such as: - Development of simulation-based maritime digital twin environments in Unity and related platforms - Integration of real-time and historical sensor data into digital twin systems - Underwater and coastal environment reconstruction using optical and acoustic sensing - Development of multimodal perception pipelines for autonomous maritime systems - Integration of autonomous vehicles, sensor platforms, and IoT systems into MDT frameworks - XR/VR-based visualization and interaction with maritime digital twins - Validation of digital twin systems on real pilot sites and experimental platforms - Interoperability with broader European digital ocean and marine data initiatives The work will combine theoretical research with practical implementation and experimental validation in collaboration with MARBLE researchers and international partners. Key responsibilities: - Conduct research activities related to Maritime Digital Twins under supervision of senior researchers - Participate in the development and validation of MDT systems and demonstrators - Contribute to software development, experiments, field trials and data analysis - Publish scientific results in international journals and conferences - Collaborate with project partners and participate in meetings, workshops, and dissemination activities - Fulfilling study obligations according to the regulations of enrolled doctoral studies Workplace: CoE MARBLE – Centre of Excellence in Maritime Robotics and Technologies for Sustainable Blue Economy, Froudeova 13, 10020 Zagreb (https://maps.app.goo.gl/vcjfPrpWYfNopvEs6)

Job Requirements: - MSc degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Mechatronics, Applied Mathematics, or related disciplines - Excellent academic record - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills - Programming experience in Python and/or C++ - Experience with simulation environments or software development - Very good written and spoken English skills - Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary research team Experience in one or more of the following areas is considered an advantage: - Robotics and autonomous systems - Computer vision or machine perception - Marine robotics or maritime technologies - Simulation environments (Unity, Unreal Engine, ROS/Gazebo, Isaac Sim, etc.) - Digital twins and cyber-physical systems - 3D reconstruction and photogrammetry - Machine learning and AI methods - XR/VR technologies - Sensor integration and data fusion - Underwater sensing technologies (sonar, cameras, LiDAR, acoustic systems) - Writing in scientific form or academic publishing