Elsa Silva

Elsa Silva serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Production and Systems at the School of Engineering, University of Minho, and holds a dual appointment as Senior Researcher and coordinator of the SEOR (Systems Engineering and Operational Research) group at the ALGORITMI research centre. Her academic foundation includes a PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering (2012) and a degree in Applied Mathematics, both from the University of Minho.

Her educational credentials comprise:

• PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Minho (2012)
• Degree in Applied Mathematics, University of Minho

Dr. Silva's research centers on Operations Research with pioneering contributions to Cutting and Packing Problems, where she develops hybrid algorithms combining mathematical programming with heuristics for industrial applications. Her work spans combinatorial optimization in logistics (prisoner transportation, fishing fleet routing), retail operations (shelf-space management, grocery backroom layout), and manufacturing (textile cutting, plasma processing), often addressing uncertainty and real-world constraints. She emphasizes bridging theoretical advances with practical implementations across sectors.

Her recent publications (2021-2025) reveal evolving trends toward integrating uncertainty modeling with cutting stock problems, advancing 3D guillotine cutting frameworks, and solving complex logistics challenges like cross-docking and container loading. A consistent theme is the development of flexible matheuristics that balance computational efficiency with solution quality, as demonstrated in her Floating-Cuts model and adaptive sequence-based approaches. These works appear in top journals including European Journal of Operational Research and Omega, reflecting her impact on both theoretical and applied operations research.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Finalist for the 2015 Daniel H. Wagner Prize (INFORMS)
• Runner-up for the 2019 ITOR Best Paper Prize
• Diploma of Recognition of Pedagogical Merit (2021)

Dr. Silva has supervised one post-doctoral researcher, two PhD theses, ten MSc dissertations (as supervisor/co-supervisor), and mentored three PhD students. Her academic service encompasses:

• Organizing two international conferences and three EURO conference streams
• Serving on examination boards for 5 PhDs (2 abroad) and 51 MSc theses (2 abroad)
• Providing 50+ peer reviews for international journals
• Scientific committee membership for EURO/ROADEF 2018 challenge
• Editorial board service for Portuguese Association for Operational Research bulletin (2022-23)

As SEOR group coordinator at ALGORITMI, she leads a dynamic team developing optimization solutions for industrial partners in manufacturing, logistics, and retail. The group focuses on translating cutting-edge research into practical tools for waste reduction, logistics efficiency, and operational decision-making, maintaining strong industry-academia collaboration channels.