PhD Research Position on Adaptive Robotic Demanufacturing KU Leuven in United Kingdom

KU Leuven is offering a funded PhD position in Adaptive Robotic Demanufacturing within the Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) research group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The project sits at the intersection of ecodesign, robotics, circular economy, and sustainability assessment, and is embedded in an international research and training network focused on advancing ecodesign methodologies for industrial-scale circular manufacturing.

The research tackles a timely challenge: how to design electromechanical products and systems so that re- and demanufacturing can be performed efficiently, robustly, and with appropriate human-robot cooperation. Current processes are limited by product variability, complex workflows, low automation scalability, and cost. The project will develop an ecodesign framework that explicitly balances durability, automation potential, human intervention, and sustainability performance. It will also broaden existing design metrics beyond disassembly to include diagnostics, cleaning, sorting, and remanufacturing activities.

A major part of the work will be the integration of a holistic sustainability assessment framework, combining environmental (LCA), economic (LCC), and social perspectives to support informed design decisions. The resulting methodology is intended to help include actionable design information in the Digital Product Passport, strengthening future re- and demanufacturing workflows and supporting policy-aligned circular design.

The PhD will be validated through industrial case studies with European manufacturing and remanufacturing companies, and through experiments in the newly established remanufacturing laboratories at Flanders Make @ KU Leuven in Heverlee. These labs provide diverse robotic setups for testing design improvements, data structures, and human-robot cooperative demanufacturing strategies.

The position includes two mandatory international secondments of 2–3 months each, giving direct exposure to industrial design practice, advanced manufacturing technologies, and real-world remanufacturing constraints. The offer is a funded PhD with competitive salary, doctoral training, and access to state-of-the-art robotic labs; the EU Researcher Allowances cover mandatory charges.

Eligible candidates must not already hold a doctoral degree and should have a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field, with at least distinction (cum laude) or an internationally recognized equivalent for admission to the KU Leuven Doctoral School. Practical experience with electromechanical design, robot programming, and industrial or collaborative robots is expected. Strong English communication skills are required; Dutch is an asset but not mandatory. The project is suited to candidates interested in ecodesign, human-robot collaboration, and sustainable engineering in an interdisciplinary, international setting.

The deadline for applications is 2026-08-31. Applicants are asked to complete the required Summary Sheet and include it at the beginning of the motivation letter, and to avoid using their first or family name in the motivation letter and file names.