News

REFFRACTEUR means “Digital REFractory FRAmework for a Carbon-neutral and Resilient indusTry in EURope)” and will train 15 Doctoral Candidates (PhDs) at the interface of materials science, digitalisation, circular economy and industrial decarbonisation, addressing one of Europe’s most strategic challenges: the transformation of high-temperature industries (steel, cement, glass, non-ferrous metals).

What makes REFFRACTEUR unique?
1 - A fully integrated approach combining Digital Product Passports, AI-driven quality control, physics-informed digital twins and decision-support systems
2 - A strong Industrial Doctoral Network, with each PhD spending ~50% of their time in industry
3 - A pan-European consortium covering the entire refractory value chain, from raw materials to end-users and recycling
4 - Direct alignment with the European Clean Industrial Deal, circular economy and climate-neutrality objectives

15 fully funded PhD positions (36 months) are now open across Europe, covering topics in:
1 - Sustainable refractory materials
2 - Microstructure-property relationships
3 - Advanced thermomechanical characterisation
4 - Digital twins & AI
5 - Life-cycle assessment and circularity
6 - Optimisation of industrial operations

Application deadline: 8 June 2026
1 - Open to international candidates (MSCA mobility rules apply)
2 - Full details and application procedure: www.reffracteur.eu 

We warmly encourage excellent MSc graduates, as well as colleagues and partners, to share this opportunity within their networks.

Here is the list of our partners: CNRS (Institut de Recherche sur les Céramiques), Montanuniversität Leoben (COC & CPS), Universidade do Minho, Université de Liège, Technische Universität Wien, Université de Limoges, Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge, Forschungsgemeinschaft Feuerfest e. V. - FGF, Elkem ASA, Imerys, RHI Magnesita, Vesuvius, CERAQUITAINE, Safran, SHS - Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH & Co. KGaA, Fesios, Siemens, Tata Steel Nederland, LSA - Laser Analytical Systems & Automation GmbH, Université de Limoges, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, FIRE - Federation for International Refractory Research & Education, EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, RWTH Aachen University, Centre•Sciences, Pôle Européen de la Céramique, Cerame-Unie