Hosting Information
- Offer Deadline: Wed, 9 Sep 2026 - 17:00
- EU Research Framework Programme: Horizon Europe - MSCA
- Country: Spain
- City: Almería
Organisation/Institute
- Organisation / Company: University of Almeria
- Department: CIESOL (Solar Energy Research Centre)
- Laboratory: Automatic Control, Robotics and Mechatronics Research Group (ARM, TEP197)
Contact Information
- Organisation / Company Type: Higher Education Institution
- Website: https://www.ual.es/universidad/serviciosgenerales/opei
https://www.ual.es/investigacion/investiga/grupos/area/grupo/TEP/TEP197 - Email: opeipromo@ual.es
beren@ual.es - State/Province: Almeria
- Postal Code: 04120
- Street: Carretera Sacramento s/n
Description
The University of Almería is pleased to host potential MSCA-PF 2026 applicants! Professor Manuel Berenguel (Dept. of Computer Science) welcomes expressions of interest from talented researchers eager to develop an innovative project under his supervision. Applicants must satisfy the MSCA Mobility Rule. Further information regarding the 2026 call requirements is available here.
Our institution
Founded in 1993, the University of Almería (UAL) is a dynamic and modern public institution located on the Mediterranean coast, actively contributing to the European Research Area through international collaboration. Our research community comprises 1,041 professionals and 144 recognized research groups, all committed to excellence, social impact, and high-level knowledge transfer.
UAL is internationally recognized for its leadership in strategic sectors, ranking in the Top 151-200 of the Shanghai Ranking (GRAS) in fields such as Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology, and Nursing. Our research capabilities are centralized in 12 Specialized Research Centers.
UAL holds a strong international vocation and a solid track record in international research programs (H2020, Horizon Europe) and academic cooperation (Erasmus+ KA2), currently managing 46 active international projects as both a partner and coordinator. We take pride in our leadership capacity, having coordinated 9 Horizon Europe Pillar II proposals and heading large-scale initiatives such as the LIFE ACCLIMATE project, and the EU Reference Laboratories (EURL) network. Moreover, UAL is the Coordinator of UNIgreen, the Green European University—a European Alliance of 8 institutions dedicated to sustainable agriculture and biotechnology.
Our office provides "end-to-end" personalized advice, from the proposal writing phase (including technical reviews) to financial management and final reporting.
The Centre / Research Group
The research group “Automatic Control, Robotics and Mechatronics” (ARM, code TEP197 of the Andalusian R&D Plan) is composed by more than 30 researchers from University of Almería and Plataforma Solar de Almería (CIEMAT).
The group is part of the Solar Energy Research Center (CIESOL) and the Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3).
The group's strategic lines include modelling, automation and process control, industrial computing, robotics and mechatronics. These strategic lines are applied to systems in different sectors within the water-energy-agriculture nexus, such as:
- Greenhouse agriculture and sustainable water production and use: Modelling, control and digitization.
- Biotechnology and bioengineering: Modelling, control and optimization of photobioreactors and biorefineries based on microalgae.
- Renewable energies, solar thermal plants, energy efficiency in production districts, comfort in buildings and smart energy networks.
- Robotics, automation, mechatronics and autonomous vehicles.
- Innovation in engineering education.
The group carries out activities at three important research centres through the corresponding agreements: CIEMAT-Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA), CIESOL and the Andalusian Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries, Food and Organic Production Research and Training (IFAPA). It was also the founding group of the Advanced Robotics Laboratory and the 3D-Lab at the UAL.
The Project
This research project addresses the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus by developing advanced modeling, control, and AI-driven optimization strategies for sustainable greenhouse production. The primary objective is to maximize crop yield while ensuring resource efficiency through the integration of renewable energy and non-conventional water sources.
Leveraging the Agroconnect and CIESOL research infrastructures, the project proposes a hierarchical control architecture to manage interconnected resource streams. Water management focuses on coupling Reverse Osmosis (RO) with solar-driven Membrane Distillation (SMD). This requires developing robust models and controllers for the solar thermal field and MD units, optimizing their coupling for maximum efficiency. Furthermore, circularity is enhanced through wastewater regeneration using microalgae-bacteria consortia and ultrafiltration, where greenhouse drainage is recycled as a nutrient source. This necessitates precise control of biological parameters and symbiotic dynamics.
The scope extends to the integrated optimization of electricity, HVAC systems, and CO2 enrichment.
The project tackles significant technical challenges, including high non-linearity, model uncertainty, multi-scale temporal dynamics, and stochastic disturbances. To overcome these, a hybrid modeling approach—integrating first-principles with data-driven techniques—is employed. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence methods, specifically Reinforcement Learning and Transfer Learning, are utilized to solve complex control problems. The final control framework incorporates multi-objective cost functions designed to harmonize economic profitability with rigorous environmental sustainability criteria.
Research Area
Information Science and Engineering (ENG)
To ensure a comprehensive evaluation of your application, interested candidates are kindly requested to submit the following documentation directly to Professor Manuel Berenguel. Please ensure all files are provided in English to facilitate the review process:
- CV
- Letter of recommendation (optional)