PhD Candidate in Cybersecurity Challenges in Maritime AI

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Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHQjc4ndas&t=41sAbout the position Digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming society, and the integration of AI into the maritime industry represents a digital shift that will redefine today’s operations. The maritime industry is increasingly embracing AI, enabling a broad digital transformation. At the same time, the use of AI introduce new cybersecurity challenges that need to be understood and addressed to enable secure and trustworthy AI technology. This PhD project will investigate cybersecurity challenges associated with the development and use of AI in the maritime domain. The project will have an interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from information security, artificial intelligence, maritime operations, and data engineering. The research may address cybersecurity risks related to the data used to develop AI models, the models themselves, or their integration and use in maritime applications. Relevant research topics may include cybersecurity risks related to training data and AI models, data poisoning and manipulation, privacy and confidentiality, secure data sharing, and methods for assessing the security and trustworthiness of maritime AI technology. The specific research questions and methodological approach will be further developed based on the candidate’s background and interests, relevant maritime AI use cases, and collaboration with industry partners. This position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and maritime operations in close collaboration with academic and industrial partners. The research is expected to contribute new knowledge and approaches for understanding and addressing cybersecurity challenges associated with the development and use of AI in the maritime domain. Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project The candidate will work in a multidisciplinary research environment located at the heart of the maritime industry in Ålesund. Working at the NTNU department of ICT and Natural Sciences ensures close contact with the industry and research communities. The PhD project will be part of the Norwegian Maritime AI Center that aims to accelerate operationalization of AI in the maritime value chains. The center shall position the maritime sector for accelerated and successful use of AI. The demand for safe and sustainable maritime activities, as well as the shortage of crew and engineers, are key drivers for change in the maritime sector. At the same time, there is a pull for growth, increased efficiency and profitability, while managing volatility in the markets. Moreover, the sector is critically important for global supply chains and security in a tense geopolitical situation. To demonstrate and prototype maritime AI solutions, the center will address a diverse and impactful set of use cases: Logistics, shipping and business transactions; Ship design and construction; Voyage planning and optimization; Condition monitoring and maintenance; Crew training; Maritime traffic and ship surveillance; Decarbonization and energy management; Autonomous ships and remote control. The research partners are the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Oslo, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, Norwegian Mapping Authority, MET and SINTEF Nordvest. There are about 30 user partners from the maritime sector, in addition to hundreds of members of the Maritime Forum, Blue Maritime, Ocean Autonomy, and Maritime CleanTech clusters. The center will be a hub, orchestrating the interfaces with research partners and user partners to facilitate collaboration, knowledge creation, dissemination, innovation, and sharing of knowledge. The Norwegian Maritime AI Center is funded by the Research Council of Norway and the partners for the period 2026-2030. There will be approximately 25 doctoral scholarships and some postdoc positions. More information can be found here: https://www.ntnu.edu/mai The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate • Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above • Academic publications and popular science dissemination • Participate in the research group Cyber-Physical Systems Laboratory (CPS Lab) • Participate in activities in the maritime AI center • Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions • Participate in relevant dissemination activities for the industry Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• •You must have a relevant master’s degree in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, information security, maritime studies, marine technology, risk or safety management, human factors, engineering, or another relevant discipline, or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level.
• •You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• •You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme.
• •Written and oral fluency in English. Applicants with MSc degrees from institutions outside Europe are expected to document language proficiency. In extraordinary circumstances, formal documentation of language skills can be relinquished. In such cases, the candidate’s language skills will be assessed in a personal interview.
• •The person hired must be eligible for security clearance at level CONFIDENTIAL or higher and be able to obtain such clearance within a reasonable period after employment.

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”. The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• •Knowledge of the maritime industry
• •Knowledge of, or interest in, artificial intelligence (AI)
• •Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian equivalent level B2

Personal characteristics To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:

• •Work independently and in research teams
• •Work in a structured way, set goals and m