🔹 Project context

This project aims to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 by transforming industrial information systems. Achieving this ambitious goal requires a profound restructuring of information flows and an integrated approach to organizational and product-level sustainability assessment.

The postdoc's objective is to advance Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies and apply them to real-time process monitoring using dynamic LCA modeling. The goal is to enable industries to monitor and optimize their environmental performance in real-time, focusing on carbon footprint reduction and other relevant environmental impacts, such as water footprint. This work aligns with the DCARBO project, which focuses on process emission monitoring through sensors within the PEPR SPLEEN program.

🔹 Main Goals

Develop a real-time environmental impact evaluation model for industrial processes.
Integrate material, water, and energy flow data from sensors and cost accounting systems into LCA for dynamic impact assessment.
Define sensor data requirements to enable real-time LCA.
Collaborate with an ongoing PhD project on leveraging accounting data for real-time LCA.
Expected Outcomes
The postdoc will develop a model linking sensor data, monitoring tools, and accounting systems to dynamic LCA, allowing real-time calculation of carbon and water footprints. A case study with an industrial partner will serve as a demonstrator to validate the model.

🔹 Key Scientific and Technological Challenges

Reconciling monetary and physical data to improve environmental impact calculations and support product innovation.
Obtaining reliable supplier data for Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions and organizational LCA.
Real-time environmental impact accounting at the industrial process level.
Predicting and anticipating environmental impacts (carbon, water) to foster eco-innovation.
This postdoc will contribute to the LCA-SPLEEN project, funded under France 2030 via the French National Research Agency (ANR), supporting the decarbonization of French industry. Given that industry accounts for ~20% of France’s greenhouse gas emissions, the National Low Carbon Strategy aims for a 35% reduction by 2030 and an 81% reduction by 2050 (compared to 2015 levels).

🔹 Starting date: as soon as possible

🔹 Degree

A PhD in mathematics and computer science (environmental informatics) or chemical and engineering sciences (chemical engineering).
Candidates from chemical or engineering sciences should have a basic knowledge and interest in programming.
Candidates from mathematics and computer science should have a basic knowledge and interest in chemical engineering and sustainability assessment.

🔹 Relevant experience in

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Material Flow Analysis, Greenhouse Gas Accounting, Environmental Management.
Supply Chain Management, Industrial Processes, Process Monitoring, and Sensors.
Computer Science for Sustainability.

🔹 Technical skills

Proficiency in Python and other programming languages.
Knowledge of OPC-UA protocols is a plus.

🔹 Personal qualities

Rigor, organization, and analytical skills.
Autonomy and ability to work in a team.
Strong communication and collaboration skills.
Motivation to contribute to the supervision of PhD, Master’s, and Bachelor’s students.
Willingness to participate in administrative tasks related to the project.

🔹 Languages

Excellent command of English (written and spoken).
Knowledge of French is an asset.
 
🔹 Funding

The LCA-SPLEEN project (Life Cycle Assessment-based metrics for industry and research to support industrial process decarbonization while minimizing environmental impacts) is funded by France 2030 and managed by the French National Research Agency (ANR) under the Priority Research and Equipment Program (PEPR). Its goal is to support the decarbonization of French industry and the development of national low-carbon industrial sectors.

With industry responsible for ~20% of France’s greenhouse gas emissions, the National Low Carbon Strategy aims to reduce emissions by 35% by 2030 and 81% by 2050 (compared to 2015 levels). The postdoctoral position, funded under this initiative, will contribute to this objective by developing real-time process monitoring using dynamic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) modeling.

The postdoc will last 2 years and will be supervised by Prof. Guido Sonnemann (ISM, University of Bordeaux), Dr. Ariane Piel, and Jean-François Berrée (CEA-List).

🔹 Application Details

Deadline: March 21, 2025, at noon.
Required documents: Motivation letter, CV, publication list, and up to three referees (contact details).
Submission: All documents must be submitted in a single PDF file via email before the deadline.

📩 Contact for applications and questions:
Prof. Guido Sonnemann (University of Bordeaux)
📍 Email: guido.sonnemann@u-bordeaux.fr

Dr. Ariane Piel & Jean-François Berrée (CEA-List)
📍 Emails: Ariane.PIEL@cea.fr, jean-francois.berree@cea.fr