Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (ISMB) is a research and innovation centre operating in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) domain. Founded in 2000 by Compagnia di San Paolo and Politecnico di Torino, today ISMB relies on the technological and process competences of around 150 researchers working in close cooperation with companies, academia and public administration. ISMB operates according to the knowledge management model: this means that it plays an active role not only in devising innovative solutions, but also in their implementation and consequent developments. This approach represents a step forward with respect to technology transfer, and in this sense the evolutionary lines of European research are taken into account.

The Pervasive Technologies (PerT) Research Area develops enabling technologies for the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm in many applied national and especially international research projects.  IoT is currently considered by most world-wide large industrial players one of the most promising and trending technology visions and it is rapidly transforming the way many products and services are delivered. The main challenges at the core of the concept are to enrich objects with communication capabilities and an electronic identity, turning them into a source of information, part of a global, distributed network. As a result, processes can be better managed and optimized.

The selected candidate will join the IoT Objects and Platforms Research Unit, where he/she will be involved in research activities focused on the design and development of networking solutions in different IoT application scenarios and pilots, in a secure, scalable and effective way. Main activities will be framed in the context of European initiatives concerning Factory of the Future (FoF), the rail sector and solutions combining IoT technologies and Cyber-Physical Systems for industrial automation and robotics.

The selected candidate will be involved in agile research teams performing analysis, design and development of secure robust networking solutions based on relevant IoT communication standards (e.g. Bluetooth Low Energy, IEEE 802.15.4, UWB). The design phase will leverage simulation tools and take into account security requirements as well as energy consumption constraints. The activity includes also the development and test of efficient firmware and higher level distributed software modules to be run in constrained low power embedded systems. The final IoT solutions will be validated on the field.

Requirements and competences:

• MSc degree in Telecommunications or Computer Science or equivalent with emphasis on communication networks and software development.
• Good proficiency in networking and communication protocols (with a focus on wireless technologies) and at least basic knowledge of information security. Knowledge of short range wireless communication protocols including IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee, Bluetooth Low Energy and UWB is considered a plus.
• Good proficiency in the design and development of firmware/software modules for IoT solutions.
• Good proficiency with C/C++/Java programming language.
• Creative, proactive attitude joint with interest in working on development of innovative solutions in different application domains.
• Good English level and ability to work both individually and actively join and interact with international, possibly distributed teams.
• One or more of the following is considered a plus:
  • Experience in programming software for distributed environments.
  • Background in electronic engineering and experience in HW design and development of PCBs with CAD software.
  • Experience and a record of collaboration with open source technologies and tools.
  • Basic knowledge of team development-support tools (e.g. for versioning, testing, etc.).
  • Scientific publications in international conference, journals, book chapters.

Contract details: fixed-term research contract.

Duration: 12 to 24 months depending on the match of the candidate with the required competences.

Location: ISMB (Turin).