Data Research Internship (Data & Research – Internship)

Help shape the future of maritime innovation.

Data & Research – Internship

About PortXL

PortXL is the world’s first port & maritime accelerator, founded in 2015 and based in Rotterdam. We bridge the gap between ambitious start-ups and scale-ups and the established maritime industry, working alongside corporate partners, investors and ecosystem leaders to make maritime climate-positive. We search, match and accelerate the newest technologies from around the world. Our home is the Innovation Dock at RDM Campus: an inspiring hub where shipbuilding history meets the future of shipping, energy, logistics and ports.

What You’ll Be Doing

As our Data & Research intern, you help PortXL stay ahead of the curve in maritime innovation. You will combine desk research, data analysis and insight synthesis to support strategic decisions — from identifying emerging technology trends to producing intelligence reports for our corporate partners.

• Conduct in-depth research on maritime technology trends, start-up ecosystems and innovation funding landscapes;
• Collect, clean and analyse structured and unstructured data from public and proprietary sources;
• Build and maintain data dashboards or reports that give the PortXL team actionable insight;
• Support partner-facing deliverables such as market analyses, trend reports and technology radars;
• Contribute to PortXL’s thought leadership by synthesising research into clear, engaging summaries;
• Collaborate with the Scouting team to enrich the start-up database with market and technology context;
• Monitor innovation signals from publications, patent filings, funding announcements and events.

We Offer

• An energetic, mission-driven team with a shared ambition to transform the maritime industry;
• Access to an international network of start-ups, scale-ups and maritime innovators;
• Involvement with our corporate partners, including the Port of Rotterdam, City of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Defense;
• Room to discover your interests, think creatively and take real ownership;
• An inspiring workspace at the Innovation Dock, RDM Campus, Rotterdam;
• Opportunities to attend maritime events, demo days and ecosystem gatherings;
• Personal and professional development;
• Compensation: €575 per month based on 36 hours per week. Part-time is possible with a minimum of 24 hours per week; our preference is 32–36 hours. A minimum of 3 days per week from the office;
• Duration: minimum 5 months, with a preference for 6–7 months.

What You Bring

• Currently enrolled in the later phases of your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, for example in Economics, Data Science, Innovation Studies, Business Analytics or a related field;
• More important than your exact field of study: you have a sharp analytical mind and a genuine curiosity for turning messy data into meaningful insight — that drive is what we’re looking for;
• Comfortable with data tools — Excel, Python, R, Tableau or similar;
• Detail-oriented and structured in your approach, while able to see the bigger picture;
• Interest in maritime, energy, logistics or sustainability sectors;
• Excellent written and spoken English; Dutch is a plus.

Interested? Please send your CV & Motivation Letter (or Video) to info@portxl.org