PhD Researcher on Safe and Sustainable-by-Design Frameworks for Additive Manufacturing in Repair and Remanufacturing (NWA ADD-reAM project)

This PhD position at Leiden University is part of the NWA ADD-reAM project, which aims to advance safe and sustainable-by-design frameworks for additive manufacturing (AM) in repair and remanufacturing. The project is at the forefront of embedding repair and remanufacturing into European industrial strategy, supporting the EU’s goals for circularity, resilience, and decarbonisation. The successful candidate will join a consortium of leading academic and industrial partners across Europe, with a home base at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University. The research will focus on developing and operationalising the Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework tailored to the technical and environmental challenges of AM repair and remanufacturing. This includes establishing system boundaries and decision criteria for metallic additive repair, polymer-based refurbishment, and hybrid manufacturing workflows. The candidate will push the boundaries of prospective Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Social-LCA (S-LCA) by integrating empirical industrial-scale data with modelled scale-up scenarios, addressing process variability, material reuse, energy-demand uncertainties, and supply-chain social impacts. The project will also involve fusing environmental, social, and safety dimensions into a unified decision-support structure using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and multi-objective optimisation, revealing robust trade-offs and Pareto-efficient strategies for sustainable AM repair choices. Collaboration with project partners will be intensive, validating the developed framework on real-world industrial case studies and delivering open-source workflow tools, harmonised datasets, and transparent pipelines to guide safe, socially responsible deployment of AM in circular value chains. The research will span industrial ecology, sustainability analytics, and decision science, directly contributing to Europe’s transition toward circular, resilient manufacturing systems. The Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University offers a vibrant, interdisciplinary environment with a strong focus on sustainability, professional development, and collaboration. The position comes with a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and flexible working arrangements. Applicants should have a Master’s degree in a relevant field, experience in LCA or environmental modelling, strong programming and analytical skills, and motivation to work in an interdisciplinary and collaborative setting. The application deadline is November 28, 2025, with interviews scheduled for December. For more information, candidates can contact Dr. Stefano Cucurachi.