Internship or Graduation: RD&I Data Science

Career at Damen: Join Damen Shipyards Group’s Data Science Team

About us

Damen Shipyards Group aims to become the world’s most sustainable and digitally connected shipyard. Our Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) department drives this vision by developing cutting-edge technologies and solutions that shape the future of shipbuilding. 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 join the Data Science Team within RD&I, based in Gorinchem. Our team applies advanced AI and data-driven solutions to maritime challenges, working on projects such as:

• Physics-informed machine learning
• Simulation acceleration
• Predictive maintenance
• Computer vision
• Operational analytics

The role

General Arrangement (GA) drawings are essential in ship design, containing detailed information about compartments, cabins, and functional areas. Today, this data is often manually extracted, which is time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies. Your mission as an intern: develop an automated solution to extract structured data from GA drawings and convert it into a reusable digital representation. This data will unlock new possibilities:

• Efficiency: Reduce manual work for engineering teams by automating the retrieval of cabin information.
• Innovation: Enable AI-driven design tools and predictive models (e.g. Graph Neural Networks).
• Integration: Support smarter digital workflows across Damen.

Key accountabilities

As an intern, you will design, test, and implement methods to interpret GA layouts and extract key information (compartments, labels, dimensions, relationships). This includes but is not limited to:

• Develop a structured data representation for downstream engineering applications.
• Experiment with CV/ML techniques using Python libraries (OpenCV, PyTorch) as well as custom algorithms.
• Collaborate with domain experts in data science, vessel design, and engineering.
• Document results and present findings to the team regularly.
• Deliver a working prototype that transforms GA drawings into machine-readable data.

Skills & experience

At least several skills/experiences from the following list are required to be considered:

• You are a MSc student in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science, or related technical field.
• Strong Python skills; experience with CV/ML libraries is a plus.
• Familiarity with CAD drawings or technical schematics is preferred, not required.
• Fluent in English, Dutch language skills is a plus.
• Fulltime availability, able to come to the Gorinchem site and preferable start in February 2026.

What we offer

• Academic-level mentoring throughout the internship.
• Internship/graduation compensation and travel allowance for the duration of the assignment.
• Gain insights into Data Science at an innovative company.
• The opportunity to contribute to a high-impact project with direct value for multiple engineering teams.
• Possibility for research publication or conference contribution, depending on results.
• Potential visits to relevant teams or partner sites depending on project needs and availability.

Other

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

Why Damen?

You contribute to this growth while benefitting from the diverse development and career opportunities that our company offers. With our extensive portfolio of products and solutions you will never get bored and never stop learning. We offer you a world of possibilities. Working at Damen means contributing to the highest quality in shipbuilding, with an eye to the future and future generations. We want to make the world a better place by becoming the most sustainable maritime solution provider. For that, we need you. Become part of our family.