Data & Research – Internship

Help shape the future of maritime innovation.

About PortXL

PortXL is the world’s first port & maritime accelerator, founded in 2015 and based in Rotterdam — the beating heart of global trade and innovation. 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.

Our internships don’t follow a fixed calendar — we welcome applications year-round. Please mention your desired start date in your application. For internships starting in August or September, our application deadline is 1 May.

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 via the button below