Prof. Rolf H. Möhring is a Professor at the Department of Mathematics, Faculty II – Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technical University of Berlin. He specializes in Combinatorial Optimization, Graph and Network Algorithms, and Operations Research with applications in industrial and transportation systems. His research bridges theoretical foundations and practical implementations, addressing challenges in scheduling, distributed computing, and algorithmic game theory. Key research interests include graph algorithms, project scheduling optimization, and robust optimization methodologies. Notable contributions span network flow analysis, traffic equilibrium design, and logistics optimization in container terminals and shipping routes. Awards: 2025 Research.com Mathematics in Germany Leader Award, 2010 EURO Gold Medal. Publications: Over 127 papers with 16,279 citations in Computer Science and 113 papers with 15,733 citations in Mathematics. His work frequently explores combinatorial structures, invariant theory, and practical applications in distributed systems. His advising focuses on PhD students in combinatorial optimization and algorithmic theory, with contributions to the Mathematics Genealogy Project. Collaborations include industrial projects like Kiel Canal ship traffic optimization and AGV routing in container terminals, emphasizing real-world problem-solving through mathematical frameworks.
Mahdi Homayouni is a Senior Lecturer in Industrial Engineering and Management at the School of Business, Social & Decision Sciences, Constructor University. His expertise lies in scheduling optimization, logistics, and operations research. He holds a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Universiti Putra Malaysia (2012), an MSc in the same field (2008), and a B.Eng. in Industrial Engineering (2003). His research focuses on advanced scheduling methodologies for manufacturing systems, maritime operations, and container terminals. He has developed algorithms such as hybrid genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, and biased random key genetic algorithms (BRKGA) to address complex problems like energy-efficient job shop scheduling, integrated production-transport systems, and port automation. His work emphasizes sustainability, resource optimization, and the application of metaheuristics to real-world logistical challenges. Dr. Homayouni has held academic positions at institutions including the University of Porto (FEP), Islamic Azad University, and served as a research assistant at INESC Technology and Science. His contributions span theoretical advancements in scheduling models and practical applications in supply chain management, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary solutions. His recent publications highlight innovations in digital twin technology for seaport sustainability, energy-efficient manufacturing systems, and multi-objective optimization in transportation logistics. He continues to explore cutting-edge applications of AI-driven algorithms to enhance operational efficiency in industrial and maritime sectors.
Stefano DE LUCA is a Full Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering (DICIV) of the University of Salerno. His research focuses on transportation systems, traffic flow modeling, sustainable mobility, and infrastructure planning. He actively contributes to projects addressing electric vehicle adoption, smart traffic management, and urban development. His work often integrates advanced modeling techniques with real-world data analysis. Key areas of expertise include hybrid traffic flow models, signal optimization for noise reduction, and the impact of transportation infrastructure on socio-economic factors. He is involved in international collaborations through Erasmus+ agreements and leads initiatives related to port logistics and container terminal efficiency. His academic contributions span over 150 publications, with recent work emphasizing electric vehicle adoption in emerging markets and interdisciplinary approaches to transportation challenges. Dr. DE LUCA is associated with laboratories focusing on transportation systems and sustainability, and he maintains active participation in academic committees and advisory roles within the university.
Ali Skaf is an Associate Professor at CESI LINEACT, affiliated with the Engineering and Numerical Tools Research team. His research focuses on scheduling problems, supply chain resilience, multi-objective optimization, and port logistics. He holds a PhD in Automatics from Belfort Montbéliard University of Technology (2020) and a Master's in Computer Science from the Lebanese-French University (2012). His educational activities span Computer Science, Operational Research, and Mathematics across engineering cycles and preparatory courses. Skaf's work emphasizes port terminal operations, including quay crane scheduling, yard truck coordination, and mixed-integer programming models for container handling. His recent publications (2018–2022) highlight contributions to NP-completeness analysis of scheduling problems and optimization algorithms for maritime logistics. His research integrates exact methods, heuristics, and computational complexity analysis to enhance supply chain efficiency. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, though his active publication record reflects ongoing scholarly engagement. His advising and grants details are not documented here, but his team's focus on numerical tools and engineering applications suggests collaborative projects in industrial automation and logistics systems. Labs/Teams: Member of the Engineering and Numerical Tools Research team at CESI LINEACT, focusing on applied operational research and port logistics solutions.
Magdalene Marinaki serves as a Researcher and permanent laboratory teaching personnel at the Technical University of Crete (TUC), School of Production Engineering and Management. She also teaches in the Hellenic Open University's Social Sciences Graduate Program. Her expertise lies in optimization methodologies, optimal control systems, and nature-inspired algorithms applied to logistics and manufacturing. She holds a Diploma, MSc, and PhD from TUC, specializing in Production Engineering and Management. Her research focuses on computational optimization, metaheuristics, vehicle routing problems (VRP), energy-efficient transportation systems, and structural control. She has authored 4 books and over 50 journal articles, with additional contributions to conference proceedings. Notable projects involve EU-funded research on blockchain applications in maritime logistics, electric vehicle routing, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) path optimization. Her recent work emphasizes sustainable transportation solutions, including EV charging infrastructure planning and drone-integrated delivery networks. She has developed algorithms like teaching-learning-based optimization and hybrid swarm intelligence techniques, addressing real-world challenges in supply chain management and smart manufacturing systems.
Cristofer Juan Expósito Izquierdo is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Universidad de La Laguna, affiliated with the GA2 Grupo de Algoritmia Avanzada research group. Education: PhD (2016) in optimization of maritime container terminal operations. Research Interests: Focuses on heuristic optimization for port logistics, sustainable operations, and industrial process efficiency. His work integrates computational methods with real-world maritime and production challenges. Publications: Recent articles cover sustainable port operations, production planning optimization, and maritime logistics, emphasizing algorithmic solutions for efficiency. Facilities: Part of IUDR institute's advanced computing research infrastructure.
Dr. Haoning Xi is a Lecturer in Business Analytics at the Newcastle Business School, University of Newcastle (UON), Australia. She previously served as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), The University of Sydney Business School. Dr. Xi received her Ph.D. in Transportation & Operations Research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, where she was also a co-cultured Ph.D. student at CSIRO Data 61. She holds a Master's degree from Tsinghua University and a Bachelor's from Central South University, China, and has research experience at the University of California, Berkeley and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Ph.D. in Transportation & Operations Research, University of New South Wales Master of Engineering, Tsinghua University, China Bachelor of Engineering, Central South University, China Research Assistant, University of California, Berkeley Visiting Researcher, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Dr. Xi's research focuses on applying business analytics, machine learning, and operations research to mobility services and transportation systems. Her work centers on Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), travel behavior analysis, data-driven optimization, and sustainable transportation. She investigates how to leverage millions of smart card data from various transport modes to uncover user travel patterns and preferences, enabling intelligent decision-making for transport authorities. Her research also explores predictive analysis using AI and ML algorithms to forecast travel patterns, service disruptions, and resource allocation strategies. A significant portion of her work examines personalized mobility services and how to integrate transportation with non-mobility offerings to create comprehensive subscription models. Dr. Xi has published over 23 SCI/SSCI indexed papers, including 9 ABDC A* journal articles (8 as first/corresponding author) in top journals like European Journal of Operational Research and Transportation Research series. Her publications reveal a strong emphasis on mathematical modeling of transportation systems, with increasing focus on AI/ML applications in recent years. The articles demonstrate progression from traditional transportation modeling toward more sophisticated data-driven approaches integrating machine learning with operational research techniques, particularly in the context of Mobility-as-a-Service ecosystems and pandemic-related travel behavior changes. Rising Stars Women in Engineering, Asian Deans' Forum (2024) Best Research Silver Award, International Symposium on Sustainable Development of Urban Transport Systems (2024) Best Paper Award, International Workshop on Computational Transportation Science (2024) Global Talent Independent Scheme, Australian Government (2021) University Postgraduate Award, UNSW (2021) CSIRO Data 61 Top-up Ph.D. Scholarship (2020) Dr. Xi currently supervises 5 PhD students across various topics including digital transformation's impact on ESG, digital sustainability measurement, data analytics for hospitality management, social media sentiment analysis, and organizational capabilities in regulated environments. She has secured over $463,500 in research funding from multiple sources including National Natural Science Foundation of China ($80,000), iMOVE Australia Limited ($300,000), and various internal university grants. Her current projects focus on AI-driven bus network optimization, parking management models, and enhancing user mobility experience through business analytics. Dr. Xi serves as CHSF College Research Committee Member and NBS Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee Member at the University of Newcastle. She is Co-chair of the Multimodal Urban Transportation Systems Analysis Committee in the World Transport Congress (2024-2026) and serves on editorial boards for International Journal of Transportation Science & Technology and Transportation Safety and Environment. She also acts as a peer reviewer for top transportation journals including Transportation Science and Transportation Research series.
Marcin Przywarty is a researcher at the Department of Marine Traffic Engineering within the Faculty of Navigation at Maritime University of Szczecin. His work focuses on maritime safety, fairway design, and simulation methods for ship navigation. His research interests center on maritime traffic engineering with emphasis on: Ship maneuvering safety and fairway bend dimensioning Risk assessment in emergency navigation scenarios Port infrastructure optimization for LNG tankers and container vessels Environmental impact analysis of slow steaming operations Analysis of his publication trends (2016-2020) reveals a consistent focus on simulation-based approaches to maritime safety challenges. Key thematic clusters include fairway design optimization (30% of publications), risk assessment methodologies (25%), port infrastructure planning (20%), and specialized applications like oil spill response and LNG terminal design (25%). His work frequently employs kinematic modeling and full-mission bridge simulators to address practical navigation problems.
Xiaojun Li is a Professor affiliated with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, with additional research ties to Texas A&M University and institutions in China. His work spans interdisciplinary fields including machine learning, computer vision, and engineering systems. He has contributed to over 130 publications since 1985, focusing on topics like deep learning applications in healthcare, seismic modeling, and intelligent systems for infrastructure. His research emphasizes practical solutions in domains such as medical diagnostics, tunnel construction optimization, and energy forecasting. Key contributions include the development of JaunENet for jaundice detection, advanced seismic wave modeling techniques, and intelligent systems for automated tunnel construction. He collaborates extensively with experts in data science, environmental engineering, and computer science. His work bridges theoretical advancements with real-world applications, addressing challenges in healthcare technology, sustainable infrastructure, and energy management. Recent projects highlight innovation in multimodal hate speech detection, smart evacuation systems using VR, and the application of graph-based methods for EEG emotion recognition. His research often integrates big data analytics and AI-driven approaches to solve complex problems in both technical and societal contexts.
René de Koster is a Professor of Logistics and Operations Management at the Department of Technology and Operations Management, Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University Rotterdam. He holds a PhD from Eindhoven University of Technology (1988) and has been affiliated with Erasmus University since 1995. His research focuses on warehousing, material handling, container terminals, behavioral operations, and sustainable logistics. He has authored eight books and over 250 publications in journals like *Transportation Science* and *European Journal of Operational Research*. He serves on eight editorial boards, chairs Stichting Logistica, and founded the Material Handling Forum. Teaching spans all RSM levels, including executive programs. Notable recognitions include the honorary Francqui Chair (2018) and being named 'the most influential researcher' in material handling. Education: PhD in Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology (1988) Research Highlights: Warehouse design and optimization Container terminal operations and automation Behavioral aspects of logistics operations Sustainability in logistics systems Publications Focus: Recent work emphasizes container terminal layouts, urban freight sustainability, and warehouse efficiency. Early contributions include foundational studies on order picking routing and return handling strategies. Awards: Honorary Francqui Chair (Hasselt University, 2018) Recognized as 'most influential researcher' in material handling Advising & Grants: Supervised over 30 PhD candidates Active in editorial roles for journals including *Transportation Science* and *Operations Research* Collaborated with industry on projects like the Aalsmeer flower auction scheduling Labs/Teams: Leads research initiatives in facility logistics through ERIM and collaborates with industry partners on warehouse automation and sustainability.
Rob Zuidwijk is a Professor of Global Supply Chains and Ports at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Erasmus University Rotterdam. He holds the title of Fellow ERIM and serves as Captain of Science for the Topsector Logistics in the Netherlands. His research focuses on sustainable supply chains, synchromodal transport networks, and inter-organisational systems in logistics. He has coordinated numerous funded research projects and teaches courses on freight transport systems, international logistics, and global supply chain management at BSc, MSc, and PhD levels. Education: PhD in Mathematics from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Research Interests: Sustainable supply chain governance, synchromodal transport optimization, and logistics information systems. His work bridges operational research and practical applications in ports and global logistics networks. Publications: Over 40 academic articles in journals like Transportation Science , Production and Operations Management , and European Journal of Operational Research . Recent work addresses sustainable governance, data-driven logistics platforms, and truck platooning optimization. Awards: Fellow of the Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM). Advising/Grants: Supervised 33+ PhD students and led projects on international logistics, container transport, and port-hinterland networks. Active in ERIM and Smartport initiatives. Labs/Teams: Co-founder of the Smartport research community, contributing to port-related logistics innovation.
Sedat Baştuğ is an Associate Professor at the Department of Maritime Transportation and Management Engineering, part of the Maritime Faculty at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University. He holds additional administrative roles, including Vice Dean and Head of the Department. His academic career includes prior appointments as a Doctor Lecturer at Iskenderun Technical University (2018–2022) and Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University (2022–2024). Contact details include email address: sbastug@bandirma.edu.tr and internal phone number 2025. Research interests focus on supply chain management, logistics, maritime transportation, port operations, and sustainability. He explores blockchain applications, decarbonization strategies, risk mitigation, and talent management within the shipping industry. His work also addresses humanitarian logistics, energy efficiency in ports, and brand positioning. Notable contributions include over 39 articles (44% of his department’s total publications) and 11 book chapters. His research spans topics like port competitiveness, DEA-SCOR models for efficiency evaluation, and the Belt and Road Initiative’s impact on logistics. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining technical, economic, and environmental dimensions to address industry challenges. His articles highlight trends in digital transformation, climate resilience, and stakeholder collaboration. Despite no explicitly listed awards, his prolific publication record underscores his academic impact. Advising and grants sections remain underdeveloped in the provided data, though his administrative roles suggest involvement in institutional and educational initiatives.
Rune Møller Jensen is an Associate Professor in Data Science and Head of The Maritime Hub at the IT University of Copenhagen. He specializes in container vessel stowage planning optimization, with expertise in metaheuristics, constraint programming, and mathematical programming. His work bridges academia and industry through projects like churn prediction and AIS-based ETA forecasting. He co-founded Sealytix, a leading stowage analytics firm, and previously led Optivation until 2022. Jensen holds awards including the Hede Nielsen Prize (2005) and The McKinsey Award (1998). Education: Studied Symbolic AI at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Research focuses on optimizing maritime logistics, energy-efficient transportation, and decision support systems for liner shipping. Key projects include Greenship (2014-2016), REALCAP (2016-2018), and BAYSTOW (2008-2012). Media engagements include discussions on AI ethics and industry collaboration. His research portfolio spans 86 publications and 10+ projects, emphasizing optimization algorithms and real-world maritime applications. As head of The Maritime Hub, he supports emerging researchers through interdisciplinary initiatives.
Daniel Seong-Hyeok Moon is Professor and Vice-President/Provost at World Maritime University. With over 25 years' experience at Korea Maritime University, his expertise centers on port economics, management, operations and maritime education. His research examines shipping efficiency strategies like slow steaming, container terminal modeling, port choice decision-making, and charter negotiation frameworks. He maintains active industry engagement through research projects with maritime organizations and has published extensively on port planning and development economics. Professor Moon holds professional certification as a First Class Navigation Officer and has extensive seafaring experience including service as ship captain. He contributes to maritime policy through membership in IAME (International Association of Maritime Economists) and other professional organizations.
Monica Canepa is a Lecturer in Maritime Energy Management Research at World Maritime University, specializing in transport economics and policy with PhD research focused on energy economics in ports. Her work examines socio-economic dimensions of maritime decarbonization, including cold ironing systems, LNG adoption, and port microgrids. She coordinates research conferences and manages projects for the University of Genoa. Canepa's extensive publication record addresses port energy transitions, cybersecurity in maritime logistics, circular economy implementations, and LNG market expansion in the Baltic region. She develops specialized training programs for maritime energy technologies and has contributed to EU Horizon cybersecurity projects.
