Postdoc in FitTape, Self-Reporting Smart Tapes for Material Passport and Health Monitoring

Are you ready to turn deep-tech research into real-world impact? Do you want to move beyond the lab and help build a new venture from the ground up?

Job description

Project vision

Civil infrastructure, industrial assets, and energy systems are ageing under increasing loads and harsh environments. Today’s monitoring solutions are often expensive, energy-dependent, and difficult to scale—limiting widespread adoption.

FitTape aims to change this.

FitTape is a self-reporting, zero-power smart polymer tape designed for structural health monitoring and material passports. By providing direct, visual feedback on structural condition, FitTape enables intuitive inspection, reduces reliance on costly non-destructive testing, and supports data-driven lifecycle decisions. The technology is currently at TRL 4 and is being developed within a funded TU Delft Take-off project.

I am looking to hire an entrepreneurially minded engineer or researcher to join this Take-off project and help translate FitTape from a validated concept into a commercially viable product.

About the role

This is not a traditional research position.

This role is strongly oriented toward commercialisation, customer discovery, and early venture development, while building on a solid technical foundation. You will work closely with me to:

• Translate FitTape toward real-world use cases (infrastructure, construction, industry).
• Engage with potential customers, asset owners, and stakeholders.
• Support prototype development and validation.
• Help shape the spin-out strategy and scale-up pathway.

Job requirements

This opportunity is particularly suited for someone who:

• Has a technical background (materials, engineering, sensing, mechanics, or related fields).
• Is already based in the Netherlands.
• Has Dutch language skills and/or strong communication skills (a strong plus).
• Is motivated to work at the interface of technology and business.
• Is looking to transition from research into entrepreneurship.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.