A (nearly) completed Master’s in Engineering (Bioscience, Electrical/Computer, Mechanical), Computer Science, Applied Math/Statistics, Physics—or related. Candidates who will graduate in the near future are also welcome to apply.Strong foundation in machine learning/deep learning and solid Python skills.Interest in computer vision, representation learning, concept drift, Statistical Process Monitoring (SPC/SPM), active learning/DOE, MLOps.Curiosity, independence, and excellent communication in English.Enthusiasm to work with multi‑disciplinary, multi‑partner teams in academia and industry.We are recruiting a PhD researcher for a multi‑partner project that advances data‑efficient AI for monitoring industrial processes. Partners include academic labs in Flanders and leading companies in pharma, chemicals and consumer goods. Within this project, your focus is on keeping AI models trustworthy over time and minimizing (re)labeling effort. The industrial cases within the project serve as primary test beds for the research, but the PhD researcher is expected to test the developed methods in a broader field, including agrifood where MeBioS is highly active. The PhD will be supervised by Prof. Wouter Saeys and Dr. Bart De Ketelaere, with support from industrial partners.The MeBioS Biophotonics group at KU Leuven is a dynamic, multidisciplinary team that bridges biophotonics with advanced data analytics to deliver real‑world impact. We design and use advanced imaging and spectroscopy sensors and build data‑analysis methods to turn these measurements into decisions. Our research spans from lab‑based prototypes and algorithms to their deployment in industry‑relevant settings. AI plays an increasingly important role in our research, empowering applications in inline quality control, process monitoring, and data‑efficient model maintenance. While our primary application domain is the agrifood industry, our methodologies are broadly applicable, and translate to adjacent sectors such as chemicals and pharmaceuticals. You will be part of a multidisciplinary group that values collaboration, hands‑on mentality and excellent research.A full-time position for 1 year. After positive evaluation according the Arenberg Doctoral School regulations, the contract will be extended to allow completion of the PhD in 4 years.A varied and challenging job in close cooperation with industry.A dynamic and supportive research environment providing strong mentorship.Opportunities for further personal development through training and participation in workshops, courses, seminars, and international conferences. Doctoral training is provided in the framework of the Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School (https://set.Kuleuven.Be/phd).Expected start date: March 1st 2026.Remuneration according to the KU Leuven salary scales (Scale 43, https://admin.Kuleuven.Be/personeel/english/salary/salary_ap.Html).