Knowledge-based Design of Cyber-Physical-Product-Service (CPPS) Systems

BACKGROUND: In today’s global market, dynamic market changes due to variations in customer preferences or disruptions in supply chains or during production require global adjustments in production to accommodate these changes and meet the demands in a timely manner. Further, global competition requires enterprises to provide cost-effective processes while improving process-product-service quality and shortening time to market.
Designing systems that can address the needs of the modern (digitized) industry has to start by selecting an architecture that can accommodate the demands of the marketplace and the influence of disruptive technologies in the design of the Cyber-Physical-Product-Service (CPPS) systems. However, this is not a trivial task and there are challenges such as inefficient knowledge exchange between different domains, extract and save useful information in the mass of data for effective decision making, and reuse this knowledge to improve the design of CPPS systems while meeting the dynamic market requirements in a timely manner.

AIM and SCOPE: Our aim is to investigate how to exchange knowledge efficiently between domains in concurrent design of CPPS systems, achieve decision support, and (re)use the knowledge for feedforward dynamic management of the CPPS systems.
The project has three phases (1) knowledge-exchange between different domains; (2) construct a knowledge base for decision support; and (3) knowledge re(use) for feedforward dynamic management. In the first phase of the project, our focus is on creating domain ontologies, integrating, and converting domain ontologies. In the second phase, our focus is on investigating how to capture the knowledge and create the knowledge base, and how to integrate the knowledge resources in a specific field to achieve decision support. In the last phase of the project, our focus is on investigating how to (re)use the knowledge from the knowledge base for feedforward dynamic management of the CPPS systems.
In the context of Industry 4.0, this project advances communication in the knowledge exchange between different domains in concurrent design, leading to more efficient decision making, and enabling further knowledge (re)use for feedforward dynamic management of the CPPS systems.
By working with Dr Jelena Milisavljevic-Syed, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to learn how to (1) frame the problem and identify questions worthy of investigation in design decision making and information modeling; (2) represent engineering knowledge (or information) and develop ontologies; (3) design software frameworks and implement them; (4) publish high quality research articles,; and (5) create new knowledge.

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT: You will work within a vibrant and rapidly growing community of researchers in the Division’s focus areas of Cloud-Based Design and Manufacturing. In addition, you will have the opportunity for internal and external collaborations. Internally, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from our Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), the leading UK centre for Virtual Engineering expertise, which delivers technology development, the latest research, training and knowledge transfer around the application and adoption of advanced modelling, simulation and 3D immersive visualisation in support of product design and manufacturing innovation. Externally, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with experts in data-driven design and cloud-based design within the International System Realization Partnership (ISRP).

FUNDING: This is a self-funded project. All fees and living expenses need to be covered by the candidate or provided through government of industry sponsorship if applicable.

REQUIRED SKILLS: We are seeking candidates with a suitable degree in Design, Engineering, Computer Science/IT or a related subject. Experience in system design is preferred, and digital technologies is required, as are strong communication and team working skills.

HOW TO APPLY: Please apply through the University of Liverpool’s online system https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/ with a full Curriculum Vitae, covering letter, and contact details for at least two academic references.