Data efficient Artificial Intelligence industrial process monitoring

Project

We are recruiting a PhD researcher for a multi-partner project that advances data-efficient AI for monitoring industrial processes. Partners include academic labs in Flanders and leading companies in pharma, chemicals and consumer goods. Within this project, your focus is on keeping AI models trustworthy over time and minimizing (re) labeling effort. The industrial cases within the project serve as primary test beds for the research, but the PhD researcher is expected to test the developed methods in a broader field, including agrifood where MeBioS is highly active.

The PhD will be supervised by Prof. Wouter Saeys and Dr. Bart De Ketelaere, with support from industrial partners.

• A (nearly) completed Master’s in Engineering (Bioscience, Electrical/Computer, Mechanical), Computer Science, Applied Math/Statistics, Physics or related field. Candidates who will graduate in the near future are also welcome to apply.
• Strong foundation in machine learning/deep learning and solid Python skills.
• Interest in computer vision, representation learning, concept drift, Statistical Process Monitoring (SPC/SPM), active learning/DOE, MLOps.
• Curiosity, independence, and excellent communication in English.
• Enthusiasm to work with multi-disciplinary, multi-partner teams in academia and industry.

• A full-time position for 1 year. After positive evaluation according to the Arenberg Doctoral School regulations, the contract will be extended to allow completion of the PhD in 4 years.
• A varied and challenging job in close cooperation with industry.
• A dynamic and supportive research environment providing strong mentorship.
• Opportunities for further personal development through training and participation in workshops, courses, seminars, and international conferences. Doctoral training is provided in the framework of the Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School ().
• Expected start date:
  March 1st 2026.
• Remuneration according to the KU Leuven salary scales (Scale 43, ).

Candidates are invited to submit their application via the KU Leuven online application tool. Please note that applications will be screened on a rolling basis, and suitable candidates may be selected and interviewed before the deadline. Early applications are therefore strongly encouraged.

Please provide (1) a motivation letter (maximum 1 A4 page), outlining your motivation for the position and how your strengths and background align with the project. Also include your earliest possible start date. (2) Curriculum Vitae, including details of your education, current position, relevant work experience (if any), relevant extracurricular activities, etc.

For more information please contact Dr. ir. Bart De Ketelaere, mail:  or Prof. dr. ir. Wouter Saeys, tel.: , mail:

You can apply for this job no later than January 30, 2026 via the online application tool.

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