IMEC

​imec is the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The combination of our widely acclaimed leadership in microchip technology and profound software and ICT expertise is what makes us unique. By leveraging our world-class infrastructure and local and global ecosystem of partners across a multitude of industries, we create groundbreaking innovation in application domains such as healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics and manufacturing, and energy.

As a trusted partner for companies, start-ups and universities we bring together close to 3,500 brilliant minds from over 70 nationalities. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium and also has distributed R&D groups at a number of Flemish universities, in the Netherlands, Taiwan, USA, China, and offices in India and Japan. All of these particular traits make imec to be a top-class employer.

University of Antwerp – imec IDLab Research group

The Internet & Data Lab (IDLab) is an imec research group at the University of Antwerp and Ghent University. IDLab focuses its research on internet technologies and data science. IDLab is a joint research initiative between Ghent University and the University of Antwerp. Bringing together 300 internet experts, we develop technologies outperforming current solutions for communication subsystems, high speed and low power networking, distributed computing and multimedia processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence and web semantics. Within Antwerp, where you will work, the overall IDLab research areas are machine learning and wireless networking. IDLab has a unique research infrastructure used in numerous national and international collaborations.

IDLab collaborates with many universities and research centres worldwide and jointly develops advanced technologies with industry (R&D centers from international companies, Flanders’ top innovating large companies and SME’s, as well as numerous ambitious startups).

For further development of the IDLab connected vehicles research stream, we are looking for a PhD candidate in 5G Vehicular Communications.

Context of the PhD vacancy

In support of having self-driving cars, we are now seeking not only to rely on sensors and the
term Connected Autonomous Mobility (CAM) has emerged. Hence, not only cars should be
autonomous, but they should also be connected to each other for ensuring greater safety and
efficiency. The role of wireless communications come into play here allowing vehicles to
communicate not only towards themselves (Vehicle-to-Vehicle, V2V), towards infrastructure
(Vehicle-to-Infrastructure, V2I), but also to the networks (Vehicle-to-Network, V2N). Some
emerging technologies such as IEEE based 802.11p (ITS-G5) and 3GPP based C-V2X (PC5)
have been deployed on the streets in Europe to realize the V2X ecosystem. Although it is
already under development and towards the innovation phase, there are still many aspects to
explore in using V2X for more complex use cases making use of other networking technologies
at different components of the network architecture, such as edge computing, software defined
networking, functionality placement, among others. Our goal is to investigate further how flexible
(software-enhanced) network communications (5G based, soon 6G, from RAN to Core) can
support CAM making use of cutting-edge vehicular and smartcity testbeds and further
enhancing it.

The job

• You will prepare a PhD thesis with a research topic related to vehicular communications
  (V2X) using 5G technologies, leveraging software-defined techniques.
• You will validate the research insight in an experimental setting, developing a prototype
  and implementing it on a V2X testbed with real communication modules (5G, C-V2X,
  802.11p)
• You will implement your research ideas within the context of several EU funded research
  projects and collaborate with world-wide industrial partners
• You will collaborate with other IDLab colleagues across research expertise in the scope
  of 5G technologies, C-ITS & connected vehicles field, and also from the Network
  Management field.
• You will assist some educational tasks of the research team, such as supervising
  Master’s students or proving hands-on laboratories support

• You have (or will receive within a few months) a Masters of Science degree, preferably in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields.
• You are able to speak/write in English in scientific and academic settings (equivalent to
  IELTS 6.5 and above)
• You are knowledgeable in network protocol stack, from physical to application layer.
• You are at ease in developing software applications, knows to code in C, C++, Python,
  and comfortable with Linux environments.
• You know how to use simulation tools related to V2X communication, such as, NS-3,
  OMNeT++, Veins, SUMO.
• You must be familiar with software-defined concepts and the different planes of
  softwarized solutions such as SDR, SDN, NFV.

What sets you apart

• You have experience in radio channel characterization and modeling
• You have knowledge in RF measurement and wireless propagation
• You are familiar with ETSI C-ITS protocol stack
• You have strong interests in investigating network slicing, network virtualization, SDN,
  NFV, SDR, and other softwarized network technologies
• You have published in high-ranking conferences and journals

What we offer

• An attractive monthly stipend
• You will join an international & multicultural research team investigating 5G networks and
  beyond
• You will have the chance to be actively involved in prestigious H2020 research projects
  working with leading industries, academias, and SMEs around Europe
• You will have the chance to deploy your V2X research in a real street setting (Smart
  Highway, a V2X testbed on a highway in Antwerp and Citylab/City of Things, a
  multi-access wireless smart city locate in Antwerp)
• You will have resources to publish the outcome of your research in high-impact
  international conferences and leading journals, in the area of communications network