Steffen Jaap Skotvoll Bakker

This PhD project at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology focuses on optimization and decision-support methods for resilient transport systems . The candidate will work on models and methods that help transport networks cope with disruptions such as floods, landslides, accidents, and technical failures, with attention to both strategic planning and operational response. The research is situated in the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management at NTNU’s Trondheim campus, within the Managerial Economics, Finance and Operations Research (BEDØK) group. BEDØK is described as one of Norway’s leading academic environments in operations research, logistics, optimization, and quantitative decision support. The student will also collaborate closely with researchers from NTNU’s Department of Computer Science and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The project asks how optimization can support infrastructure investment, resource placement, infrastructure reinforcement, rerouting, capacity allocation, and recovery decisions in multimodal transport systems. A key element is the integration of dynamic transport models and machine-learning surrogates developed in a parallel PhD project, enabling efficient evaluation of many scenarios and resilience measures. The candidate will contribute original scientific research, develop models for strategic resilience planning and disruption management, publish results internationally, and work with academic and industry partners. The research is embedded in STRIDE: Synergizing Transport Resilience, Infrastructure, and Defense in Extremes , an interdisciplinary project that brings together transport modelling, machine learning, optimization, infrastructure, and social sciences. Use cases will be developed in collaboration with partners including Bane NOR, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, giving the work a strong practical orientation in transport resilience and societal preparedness.