PRR Project

Summary

Manufacturers need to revolutionize operations management by integrating horizontally and vertically sustainable practices with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. Such endeavor recognizes the pressing need for businesses to optimize operations while minimizing environmental impact and ensuring long-term sustainability. This holistic view of operations will allow for:Efficiency Enhancement Through Integration, by means of implementing AI-driven solutions to optimize operations horizontally across different functional areas (e.g. procurement, production, distribution, sales, …)  and vertically along the entire value chain, from suppliers to end customers.Environmental Sustainability Across Value Chains, by means of developing strategies to minimize environmental footprint not only within individual operations but also across the entire value chain, including suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.Risk Mitigation Through Value Chain Collaboration and information sharing among value chain partners to identify and mitigate risks collectively, ensuring resilience and sustainability.Decision Support for Integrated Value Chain Management, by means of providing decision-makers with actionable insights and predictive analytics to facilitate integrated value chain management, balancing economic efficiency with environmental and social considerations.Stakeholder Engagement and Value Chain Alignment, by means of engaging stakeholders at various levels of the value chain to align sustainability goals, foster transparency, and promote responsible business practices.The position “Assistant Researcher for Sustainable Operations Management with AI” is fundamental to developing new skills at the Industrial and Systems Engineering Domain at INESC TEC for this emerging area. It is fundamental for INESC TEC to keep being recognized as an international and leading reference in industrial engineering, being able to integrate state-of-the-art technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in its research activities. The Assistant Researcher will be responsible for developing comprehensive analytical methods tailored to the specific requirements of different value chains, where operations need to be integrated (vertically and horizontally) in a sustainable way.The candidates need to have a hybrid profile, with high business expertise as strong knowledge of operations management (processes, technologies, systems, automation …) and very strong analytical capabilities, in terms of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence. They should have a PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Industrial Engineering, or a related field. They must have demonstrated experience in developing and implementing AI solutions for real-world applications, preferably in manufacturing or industrial settings, as well as hands-on experience with data collection, preprocessing, and analysis techniques. Overall, the ideal candidates should possess a combination of technical expertise, practical experience, and strong interpersonal skills to drive research and innovation and deliver tangible results.To ensure the successful recruitment of talented researchers for the described position, an extensive communication campaign will be launched across multiple platforms and academic networks to reach a wide pool of potential candidates. INESC TEC can use its network of academic collaborators, industry partners and alumni to spread the word about the position and encourage qualified individuals to apply.