Job Description
We are seeking a candidate with expertise in Earth Observation, Remote Sensing, or Computer Vision to contribute to the next generation of Recycllux’s plastic detection module. The intern will design and test a computer vision pipeline using Sentinel-1/2 data to identify marine plastic hotspots, enhancing robustness, interpretability, and performance under varied environmental conditions.
This work is central to Recycllux’s EIT-supported innovation project, bridging EO research and real-world deployment of plastic offset services.
This is your opportunity to:
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Join a dynamic, international, and impact-driven team
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Contribute to a mission that protects marine ecosystems and accelerates sustainable innovation
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Collaborate in an experienced team strongly involved in international collaborations
Key Outcomes
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Contribute to the computer vision model for marine plastic detection
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Implement a robust pipeline using Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery
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Generate outputs including geo-referenced plastic hotspots, confidence maps, and image overlays
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Contribute to operational integration with Recycllux’s platform on Google Cloud
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Support the migration from Earth Engine-based exploration to a scalable GCP-compatible backend
Main Tasks
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Develop and test image processing pipelines using OpenCV + Python
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Combine radar and optical data (S1 backscatter + S2 RGB/NIR) for robust detection
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Generate spatial outputs (GeoJSON, masks) with metadata (e.g., confidence score, timestamp)
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Optimize the system for speed (≤10 sec/image) and parallel processing
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Prepare documentation and contribute to integration with the Intervention Portal backend
Type of Stream: Deep-Tech Talents (research-focused internship)
Required Qualifications
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PhD candidate in Earth Observation, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, or Artificial Intelligence
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Experience with Sentinel imagery, particularly S1/S2 time-series
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Strong programming skills in Python and OpenCV
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Familiarity with geospatial formats (GeoTIFF, GeoJSON), cloud workflows, or GCP is a plus
Soft Skills
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Analytical, self-driven, and structured in approach
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Able to document and communicate findings clearly
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Comfortable working independently and collaboratively in a distributed team
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Interdisciplinary thinking and openness to stakeholder-driven innovation
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Fluent in English (spoken and written)
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience with EO pipelines in Google Earth Engine or Sentinel Hub API
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Interest in environmental sustainability and applied climate innovation
Other information
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Location: Remote
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Duration: 3–6 months (to be defined with the selected candidate)
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Start Date: Flexible, from Summer/Autumn 2025
The internship is funded through the InnoNext program, with the possibility to lead to long-term employment depending on performance and alignment with Recycllux’s growth plans.
👉 If you meet the InnoNext eligibility criteria, register and apply here: https://www.innonext-project.eu/en/talents
📚 FAQ: https://www.innonext-project.eu/en/faq
The selected candidate will be mentored by Recycllux’s senior team and collaborate with researchers and developers contributing to environmental innovation at scale.
Career level
Career options
At Recycllux, we're building a deep-tech platform to fight marine plastic pollution in a way that’s transparent, data-driven, and scalable. Our mission is to turn marine plastic from a burden into an opportunity - empowering companies to fund verified cleanups and showcase climate-smart, regulation-aligned impact.
Using proprietary AI models on Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data, we detect plastic accumulation zones at sea. These insights feed into our intervention portal, where we dynamically match these pollution spots with local cleanup capacity (similar to how ride-sharing platforms match drivers with riders). By empowering local actors - fishing vessels, NGOs, recyclers, repurposing partners, and art high schools (for waste-to-art contests for students) - we create new value chains around otherwise unrecyclable plastic. This not only reduces emissions but boosts employment (into the local coastal economies), awareness, and shared ownership of marine protection.
Everything is tracked on blockchain, creating a certified, tamper-proof chain of custody (from detection to recycling/repurposing). Through a transparent, auditable dashboard, manufacturers can access real-time KPIs such as volumes collected, plastic types, CO₂ savings, and recycling rates - allowing them to quantify their plastic offsetting efforts and integrate them seamlessly into sustainability and compliance frameworks.
Recycllux transforms marine plastic cleanup into a verifiable, reportable, and integrable digital service, embedding traceability and circularity into the digital and green transition of Europe’s manufacturing sector.
Because our system is CapEx-light and built for decentralized collaboration, it enables rapid integration across supply chains and regions, helping manufacturers localize action, reduce emissions, and align with circular economy goals across all EU markets.
After finalizing our MVP during EIT Climate-KIC’s Black Sea ClimAccelerator, our results were published on the European Commission’s Horizon Results Platform in 2023 (ID: 58919).
In 2024, we secured partnerships for intervention deployment along the Romanian Black Sea coast, won the Black Sea Common Maritime Agenda’s Project Award for Healthy Marine Ecosystems and the BRIDGE Black Sea High-Tech Summit Investors’ Award as the most bankable project.
In 2025, our impact was further acknowledged through official inclusion of our action in the EU Mission Oceans Charter. In April 2025, Recycllux was recognized as one of the Change100 Sustainability Startups to Watch Worldwide, highlighting our global potential to drive impactful environmental innovation.
Thanks to our recent traction - two signed pilot customers in Romania and a grant from Social Tides & Google - we are now finalizing the commercial version of our platform. The full-scale pilot deployment will take place in September 2025, along Romania’s Black Sea coast. This pilot will support our transition to TRL 6/7, with demonstrated system performance in an operational environment and will serve as the springboard for commercialization and expansion to other sea basins starting with the Mediterranean in 2026.
