Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is University West’s overarching profile and basic principle applied to learning, the exchange of ideas, and educational development. The government has assigned the distinguished task of developing WIL to University West. Work integrated learning in education and research develops new, relevant and advanced knowledge both within the academy and among its partners, which also benefits society in general. University West offers a wide variety of study programs, has a good number of applicants and the students show a high entry rate on the labor market. The main research environments at University West are Production technology, Learning in and for the new working life and Child and youth studies and is conducted in collaboration with the surrounding society. Campus is centrally located in Trollhättan with about 13,000 students and 700 employees.
PhD studentship in Production Technology specializing in flexible automation and AI
Research in the Division of Industrial Automation in the Department of Engineering Science focuses on smart and human-centric industrial automation with a specialization in flexibility and Plug & Produce. Our primary aim is to advance the fundamental understanding of control strategies, with a particular focus on their impact on system flexibility and human interaction. As part of a new project in collaboration with several industrial partners, we are now seeking a PhD student to join the team at University West.
The scientific part of the project
This PhD project focuses on exploring and developing AI-driven planning methods for robot-based material handling, aimed at optimally scheduling and executing orders in collaborative environments. The research will integrate AI-based safety protocols to ensure safe human-robot collaboration (HRC), while also enabling seamless natural language communication between operators and robots to support intuitive interaction throughout the automation process. The project will also address path planning strategies that can adapt in real time to dynamic environments and human presence. This work builds on previous research within the group, particularly in the use of Multi-Agent System (MAS) solutions for control and interaction in flexible automation environments.
The research will require systematic development of new AI and planning algorithms, including their implementation in prototype systems, to enable experimental studies and evaluation in real or simulated environments.
Doctoral degree program: Production Technology
Research center:
Doctoral students in Production Technology become members of the research group PTW (Production Technology West). The group collaborates with the engineering industry in the region at the Production Technology Centre, which houses an advanced research laboratory. Click here for more information about our research center.
Job description:
The research program includes, in addition to participation in third-cycle courses and other activities, the implementation of independent thesis work. Doctoral students shall primarily devote themselves to their own education. A doctoral student may, however, be engaged to a limited extent in education, research, and administration, mainly within Production Technology. Such duties, before a doctorate has been conferred, may not occupy more than 20 percent of full-time working hours. (Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) Chapter 5 section 2).
Qualification requirements:
To qualify for appointment as a PhD, two eligibility requirements must be met: 1) basic eligibility and 2) special eligibility.
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The basic eligibility requirements for doctoral programs as set out in the Higher Education Ordinance are as follows:
- a degree at master’s level,
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completed courses totaling at least 240 university credits of which a minimum of 60 at master’s level
or,
substantially equivalent knowledge gained in some other way whether in Sweden or abroad.
- To fulfil the special eligibility requirements for a doctoral degree in Production Technology, a student must hold a degree at master’s level in a subject relevant to the doctoral degree subject. This degree may be in Applied Physics, Engineering Mathematics, Engineering Physics, or equivalent, with a thesis project corresponding to at least half a year of study. The eligibility requirements may be fulfilled by studies in Sweden or abroad.
For more information please read 3.1 and 3.2 in General syllabus for the third-cycle programme in Production Technology, Ref. No U 2021/160.
Additional Qualifications:
Mandatory:
- A degree in automation, AI, computer science, production technology, or a closely related field
- Documented experience in advanced programming relevant to the area
- Proficiency in spoken and written English
Other relevant but not mandatory qualifications:
- Documented experience in AI and vision
- Documented experience in industrial robotics and automation
- Documented experience of research or development work related to the area
- Ability to communicate in Swedish is regarded as a merit
Selection:
The basic factor for selection among qualified applicants is the ability to profit from such a program. For more information, please read 3.3 in General syllabus for the third-cycle programme in Production Technology, Ref. No U 2021/160.
We believe that a successful applicant should have a genuine interest in the development of mathematical models of physics. It will also be essential to actively take part in the experimental verification of the developed software and algorithms (optimization schemes). For this reason, the ability to work well in a group with other employees and students is necessary.
Duration and terms of employment:
Employment as a doctoral student shall be on an open-ended basis but not for longer than to a specific point in time and never for a period extending more than one year after receiving the doctoral degree. The initial appointment must not be for more than one year. The appointment may be renewed for no more than two years at a time. A person may be employed as a research student for a total of not more than eight years. The total period of employment, however, may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study at the third level of higher education. (Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) Chapter 5 section 7). If 20% of the working hours are dedicated to education and administration, this normally means an employment of 5 years.
Application
Applications are to be submitted electronically through the University West web-based recruitment tool, Varbi.
The application must include:
- CV/Personal qualifications
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Personal letter containing
- Interest in the research topic.
- Previous experience regarding the proposed research topic and its research methods and scientific theories.
- Motive to pursue doctoral studies
- Degree project of second level of higher education
- Degree certificate of first and second level of higher education in the original language and in translation
- Diploma Supplement in original language and in translation
- Course list/transcript of all semesters for bachelor's and master's degrees in original language and in translation
- Other documents which the applicant wishes to invoke
If your degree is from a university outside of Sweden, make sure that you attach a diploma and full transcripts that makes assessing your degree easier. If your degree has not been verified by a Swedish authority you need to provide contact details to the issuing university, registrar or similar, that can verify the degree at our request.
Approved written languages regarding papers, diplomas, grades and other relevant documents are the Scandinavian languages and English, or translations into those languages. Attach the original when submitting translated documents.
Documents that cannot be sent digitally, should be marked with ref.no R 2025/157 sent to:
University West
HR
461 86 Trollhättan
Sweden
The application should reach University West no later than 2025-09-05. Mark the application with ref.no: R 2025/157.
The Department of Engineering Sciences strives for equality and diversity in all professions. We welcome applicants with different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. For us, it is natural with an inclusive working environment and that our employees can combine work with active parenthood.
Welcome with your application!
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