We offer you an Ocean of Possibilities. Join our family.

About us

Damen aims to become the world's most sustainable and digitally connected shipyard. The Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) department develops and implements the technology and know-how to achieve these ambitions. We actively assist the business in creating an innovative product portfolio and provide forward-thinking guidance to improve the quality and performance of Damen's products and services. 

You will be joining the Data Science team within Damen RD&I, located in Gorinchem. Our department focuses on applying cutting-edge data and AI solutions to Damen’s shipbuilding and maritime operations.  The team includes domain experts in physics-informed machine learning, simulation acceleration, predictive maintenance, computer vision, and operational analytics.  

The role

As an intern, you will work on the Fast Physics project, which aims to drastically reduce the runtime of high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of ship hulls. These simulations are essential in predicting how a vessel behaves in water, but they can take hours to compute.  Instead of running time-consuming physics-based simulations, we use geometric deep learning, a type of machine learning that can learn from vessel designs and quickly estimate results like water resistance or flow around the hull.  The outcome is a working prototype that can support early-stage design exploration and simulation optimization. 

You will contribute to enhancing the performance of an existing system that predicts physical quantities, such as ship resistance and flow fields, based on geometry and operating conditions. Your primary focus will be on a dedicated topic involving the training, validation, and extension of the framework to support multiple ship types and/or varying levels of simulation fidelity.

Key accountabilities

You will be responsible for the following aspects:

Support the improvement of ML-based frameworks, focusing on geometric deep learning and graph neural networks;

Preprocess CFD simulation data and ship hull geometries;

Run experiments in Python using PyTorch;

Work closely  in our team together with Data Scientists, domain knowledge naval architects, and external partners such as MARIN.;

Document results and present findings to the team regularly.

Skills & Experience 

We are looking for a student who: 

Is currently pursuing a Bachelor or Master in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science or a related technical field.

Has experience with Python, and ideally deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.

Has familiarity with 3D geometry formats or CFD simulation and numerical data.

Has a strong interest in physics-based modeling and applying AI to engineering problems.

Communicates fluently in English. 
Is fulltime available to take on this project as a summer internship, with the possibility to extend to a thesis or graduation project.

What we offer

Mentoring at academic level will be available throughout the internship.

Internship/graduation fee and travel allowance will be paid for the duration of the assignment.

Opportunity to contribute to a high-impact innovation project in collaboration with leading maritime companies, institutes and universities.

Research publication is likely possible with a possible extension of the internship period.

Possibility to visit partner hubs or research centers (e.g., MARIN in Wageningen) depending on project needs and availability

Other

Are you ready to sail into your new adventure at Damen? Don’t hesitate, send us your motivation letter and resume here.

Due to housing issues we cannot accept international students that do not have accommodation in the Netherlands yet.

Recruiter:

Liselotte van Veenendaal

Email:

liselotte.van.veenendaal@damen.com

Please apply through the Apply Button. Due to GDPR reasons we cannot accept applications by email.

Are you ready to sail into a new adventure?

Damen was established by two brothers back in 1927. Today, with more than 12,000 employees, operating over 35 shipbuilding and repair yards, the Damen Shipyards Group has earned a leading position in the shipbuilding world. We are an international company that is, at heart, still a family business with family values and a deep respect for our maritime heritage. It is our aim to combine our proven standardisation with the innovations of digitalisation to become the world’s most sustainable shipbuilder

Newbuild

Damen has delivered more than 6,500 vessels in 100 countries and delivers some 175 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels on stock leads to short delivery times, low total cost of ownership and reliable performance. We offer a wide range of products including tugs, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, ferries, dredging, offshore vessels and superyachts.

Shiprepair & conversion

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of 18 repair and conversion yards with drydocks ranging up to 420 x 80 metres. DSC yards have extensive experience – completing more than 1,300 projects every year, from normal drydockings for scheduled maintenance to damage repair, right up to extensive refit and conversion projects.

Services

Being active in the maritime industry demands continuous vessel reliability. For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of shipbuilding know-how.

Components

Damen is also specialised in the design and production of various marine components including propeller nozzles, rudders, special towing winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

Always looking for talent

At Damen we are always looking for professionals, starters and students with a passion for ships. We offer challenging jobs, internships, premium placements or graduation projects both locally and globally, in various job areas.

Investing in talent

As professionals we offer you the ideal environment to continuously develop yourself both technically and personally by coaching you on the job and through various programmes found in the Damen Academy.

We also offer students diverse unique opportunities to get to know the Damen Shipyards Group. Boost your personal development, even before beginning your professional career, through various events and activities.

“Damen has always been a company with a clear focus on innovation. From ground-breaking concepts such as standardised shipbuilding to advanced products such as the SEA Axe Hull, innovation has provided the means for Damen to grow into an established global group of companies.”

Oceans of opportunities

We are active across the entire maritime sector and offer jobs in different areas allowing you to grow, develop and define your own career. Whether you are looking for a job in Sales, Design & Proposal, Engineering, Research & Development, Yard Support or Project Management, we will do our best to find the right fit in our Newbuild, Shiprepair & Conversion, Services or Components activities.

Steer your own career

From the first day you join our company, you will have the freedom and responsibility to steer your own course. Damen stands for challenging jobs, personal and professional development and for numerous career opportunities. And, above all, it’s fun to work at Damen!

Are you up for the challenge? Are you a team player who likes to work independently and thinks critically and are you ready to take the lead? Then feel welcome at Damen and spend your future best years with us!

‘’We want to become the most sustainable shipbuilders in the world. Our ambitions lie in circularity and zero-emission sailing!’’

Internship: Speeding up Simulations

Oceans of opportunities