Title: High-performance transportation optimization through parallel and collaborative methods (Collab)
Project summary: In Collab, we develop parallel optimization methods for transportation planning. We concentrate on two central optimization problems in transportation: the Vehicle Routing Problem, and the Dynamic Shortest Path Problem. The developments follow two parallel tracks: Parallelization of known, sequential methods and development of new parallel methods based on collaborative search. Contrary to traditional sequential methods, the new parallel methods will be able to fully utilize the steep performance increase of future multi-core and heterogeneous hardware platforms. The Collab partnership consists of two research groups at SINTEF ICT, Oslo, Norway, and three highly reputable transportation optimization groups from Belgium, Canada, and France. The project finances a postdoc position at SINTEF.
Duration: 2009-2011
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway (researcher project)
Partners: INRIA Lille, France; CIRRELT, Canada; ITMMA, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Group of Optimization and Group of Heterogeneous Computing, SINTEF IKT
Further information: http://www.sintef.no/projectweb/collab
Contact Person: Geir Hasle
Title: LNGShipping
Project summary: Due to the very nature of LNG shipping as a closely integrated part of the LNG supply chain, planning of LNG shipping is complex. The need for effective decision support systems to help the planners in their work is vital. It will increase the ability to obtain high vessel utilisation and lower emissions of climate gases, and to utilise the market options in an increasingly more dynamic LNG-market. This LNGShipping project will together with leading operators develop a new breed of decision support system prototypes for planning of LNG ships in a LNG supply chain context, taking care of the distinctive characteristics of the LNG business.
Duration: 2008 - 2011
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway
Partners: SINTEF, GDF Suez, StatoilHydro, NTNU
Contact Person: Truls Flatberg
Title: Effekt
Project summary: The main goal in Effekt is to reduce costs and environmental effects of transportation. We develop better methods in applied mathematics and utilize them in tools for automated transportation planning and route revision. The project aims at transport of media products such as newspapers. More efficient tools for design and revision of carrier routes will lead to more cost effective transportation plans and possibilities for more frequent route plan revisions. Better tools will reduce consumption of time and manpower for route planning. Effekt is a cooperation project between four major Norwegian distribution companies, a vendor of tools for media product distribution management, and a vendor of geographic information technology. A Finnish and a Norwegian group in transportation optimization constitute the research partners.
Duration: 2008-2011
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway (user managed innovation project)
Partners: Distribution Innovation AS (project owner); Aftenposten Distribution AS; Edda Distribusjon AS; Romerike MediaDistribusjon AS; MediaPost AS; Norkart AS; Agora Innoroad Laboratory, University of Jyväskylä; SINTEF ICT
Further information: http://www.sintef.no/projectweb/effekt
Contact Person: Geir Hasle
Title: Integrated Operations
Project summary: SINTEF ICT has assisted SINTEF Marintek with the tasks given by the Center for Integrated Operations project 3.3, Integrated Planning. We have analysed suitable methods for solving the integrated planning problem faced by running offshore installations and supporting these with required logistics. A report describes a model of the problem and suggested methods for implementing software decision support tools.
Duration: 2008 - 2008
Funding source: Center for Integrated Operations in the Petroleum Industry
Partners: SINTEF Marintek
Further information: http://www.ntnu.no/iocenter
Contact Person: Eivind Nilssen
Title: HOSPITAL
Project summary: "HOSPITAL (Health care Optimisation Software for PlannIng, rosTering, And scheduLing) is a five year research project mainly funded by The Research Council of Norway. The industrial partners Gatsoft AS and DIPS ASA are co-funding the project. The main objective in the project is to further develop and disseminate world leading competence in high-performance, robust and adaptable optimization methods for decision support in health care planning software. The competence is needed to meet strategic goals of higher efficiency and service levels in the health sector, and to facilitate innovation in the tool vendor industry. We shall focus on two specific, highly challenging, important planning tasks: personnel rostering and surgery scheduling. Optimization methods will be incrementally developed and assessed via prototypes. A generic optimization library and implementation guide will ensure wide dissemination and exploitation of the methodology, also outside of the health sector.
Duration: 2007 - 2012
Funding source: The Norwegian Research Council, Industry
Partners: DIPS, Gatsoft, CMA (Centre of Mathematics for Applications), University of Oslo ASAP (The Automated Scheduling, Optimisation and Planning ), University of Nottingham
Further information: http://www.sintef.no/hospital
Contact Person: Martin Stølevik
Title: NFF: Planning in the Norwegian football league system
Project summary: On behalf of NFF (the Norwegian football association) SINTEF ICT has evaluated the procedure used today for planning the top leagues in the Norwegian league system and examined possible alternatives. The work's initial focus was on the underlying patterns used to generate the playing schedules. The results from the initial project was used in the planning of the leagues for 2008 and 2009 where SINTEF has been assisting NFF in the planning process.
Duration: 2007 -
Partners: NFF
Further information: http://www.fotball.no
Contact Person: Truls Flatberg
Title: Decision support in maritime logistics - Coping with comparative analysis and optimization based decisions (Desimal)
Project summary: Desimal is a Knowledge-building Project with User Involvement (KMB) in maritime logistics, partly financed by the Research Council of Norway. The project comprises two decision support research areas regarding the maritime logistics chain: Comparative analysis (Cost, time, security, robustness, environmental issues), and Optimization based decision support (Design, coordination and operation).
Traditional logistics thinking in the maritime sector is focused on the transportation at sea. Focusing the attention on intermodal maritime logistics and larger parts of the supply chain may offer greater benefits to shipping companies and industry. This will enable them to extend their thinking in line with developments seen in other sectors. Such a change requires new competence, methods and system support. The KMB research project Desimal develops new knowledge, data structures, methods, techniques, and decision-support system prototypes in maritime logistics. Innovation and the growing degree of integration in maritime logistics require a systematic approach. The complexity of logistics chains and their sub-systems is such that research needs to focus not only on the total chain, but also on particular parts.
Historically, creativity and innovation have been trademarks of Norwegian shipping. Shipping is a global business where continuous innovation and improvement are essential to remain competitive and to maintain market shares and profitability. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the Norwegian maritime cluster through extended and improved system knowledge and development of maritime services that can be controlled from Norway. Desimal gives valuable contributions to this development.
Duration: 2007-2011
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway (KMB) and partners, see below
Partners: Broström Tankers AS; Saga Forest Carriers AS; DnV Research and Innovations
Further information: Desimal is a Knowledge-building Project with User Involvement. MARINTEK is the project owner. SINTEF ICT is responsible for subproject on Inventory Routing
Contact Person: Geir Hasle
Title: Discrete Optimization Methods in Maritime and Road-based Transportation (DOMinant)
Project summary: DOMinant is a research project on optimization methods in transportation planning financed by the Research Council of Norway. We focus on maritime and road-based inventory routing and fleet composition problems. Three strong Norwegian groups in discrete optimization work closely together. We develop mathematical models. Classical formulations are extended with side constraints that are important in industrial applications. Exact solution methods, relaxations, and bounds are developed for the target problems, as well as approximation methods and hybrid methods for large size instances. In the developments, extensive computational experiments on instances from industry and the literature is an integral part.
Through DOMinant, we strengthen the collaboration between the three dominant Norwegian groups in discrete optimization. Two researchers have been recruited through postdoc positions. The groups have a strong international scientific network. We strengthen this network in DOMinant through joint work, workshops, and visiting researcher stays.
Duration: 2007-2009
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway (researcher project)
Partners: NTNU (Project Owner); Høgskolen i Molde; SINTEF ICT
Further information: http://www.iot.ntnu.no/forskning/forskerprosjekt/dominant/DOMinant/
Contact Person: Geir Hasle
Title: Re-engineering TurboRouter
Project summary: TurboRouter is a decision support tool for vessel scheduling. The system is developed and owned by MARINTEK. SINTEF ICT is performing a re-engineering of the system where the focus is on stability and robustness including a modernized user interface.
Duration: 2007-2008
Partners: SINTEF MARINTEK
Further information: http://www.sintef.no/Projectweb/TurboRouter/
Contact Person: Truls Flatberg
Title: CupAssist
Project summary: SINTEF ICT has developed a module for automatic planning of sport tournaments for the firm Spectare AS. The module is integrated in the tool CupAssist. Based on information about fields, teams and matches the module generates plans with start time and field for each match. The plans obey all given constraints with regard to pauses and availability of fields and teams. The module also can allow for wishes with regard to the plan's look. This includes features such as uniform distribution in time for each team, compressed or stretched out plans for each team, preferred number of matches each day and equal access to fields with priority. CupAssist handles all aspects of tournament planning - from registration and economy, to result services on the web. CupAssist is a unique system both in Norway and in the world. It is already in use with more than 50 tournaments."
Duration: 2005 -
Partners: Spectare AS
Further information: http://www.cupassist.com
Contact Person: Truls Flatberg
Title: Spider Web
Project summary: In the TOP and DOiT projects, we developed software for computing optimal paths in road networks for use in VRP solving. This software has been built into a web service that can perform the actual calculations for web sites that offer maps and route guidance.
Duration: 2005 - 2009
Funding source: Industry
Partners: Geomatikk, NorKart, MapSolution
Contact Person: Oddvar Kloster
Title: MultiRIT
Project summary: The project involves the establishment of new, better and easier available travel information services that will enable the traveller to find the best travel alternative and adjust his behaviour according to traffic conditions. The services shall cover all transport modes, timetable based or not and all phases of the travel process.
Duration: 2005-2008
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway
Partners: SINTEF, ITS Norge, Vegdirektoratet, Jernbaneverket, Avinor, NSB, Norsk Reiseinformasjon, Bravida Geomatikk, LogIT, Trafikanten Møre og Romsdal, DELTA-senteret
Contact Person: Truls Flatberg
Title: Transport Management Technology for large-scale Applications (EDGE)
Project summary: Recent experience shows that existing route planning tools are not powerful enough, particularly in applications with a very large number of stops. Newspaper distribution and waste collection are good examples. Better tools for route planning will make drastic savings in transport costs and planning time in such applications. In EDGE, we improve state-of-the-art in vehicle routing technology, and move the leading edge of transportation management systems by integrating new, more powerful route optimizers. EDGE is a three-year inter-Nordic research and technology development project partly financed by the Research Council of Norway. The main goal is to significantly improve logistics performance in transportation services with a very large number of stops. We develop three route planning prototypes, one in media product distribution, one in waste management, and one generic route planning tool. The solutions produced in EDGE are exploited by two end user partners, and commercialized and disseminated internationally through three technology providers.
Duration: 2005-2008
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway (BIP) and partners (see below)
Partners: Aftenposten AS; Distribution Innovation AS; Jätekukko Oy; Ecomond Oy; Spider Solutions AS; Agora Innoroad Laboratories, University of Jyväskylä; SINTEF ICT
Further information: Project web pages
Contact Person: Geir Hasle
Title: Maritime transportation and logistics - Efficient tools and solutions for planning and control
Project summary: VISION: SINTEF delivers the most effective tools and solutions for strategic, tactical, and operational planning in maritime transportation and logistics. We are a leading RTD-partner internationally in the area, and contribute to innovation, industrial value creation, and improvement of efficiency in global transportation systems. GOAL: The business idea is to develop the internationally most attractive decision support systems and logistic solutions in maritime transportation. The joint competence of the groups of SINTEF and its academic partner NTNU is utilized to develop systems and services for shipping and maritime supply chains. FOCUS: The project focuses its developments on three areas: Inventory routing, the LNG supply chain, and liner shipping. RESULTS: The main results are three software prototypes and their underlying models and optimization algorithms: A generic solver for inventory routing problems, a tool for inventory routing in the LNG business, a planning tool for liner shipping.
Duration: 2005-2008
Funding source: SINTEF (internal funding) and industry partners (see below)
Partners: Broström Tankers; GdF Suez; StatoilHydro; Höegh Autoliners; SINTEF
Contact Person: Geir Hasle
Title: OpTur - Nurse Rostering
Project summary: Together with Gatsoft, SINTEF has developed a plug-in for optimizing the personnel planning task in the software GAT. The plug-in was developed in 2004-2006. Support and minor development of the module continues.
Duration: 2004 -
Funding source: Industry (Gatsoft)
Partners: Gatsoft
Further information: http://www.gatsoft.no/
Contact Person: Martin Stølevik
Title: Dynamic Optimization in Transportation - DOiT
Project summary: DOiT was a three-year research project dealing with real-time transportation planning and optimisation in a dynamic environment. The project was a joint innovation project headed by the Norwegian Road Authorities. SINTEF was the research partner in the project, and was responsible for project management.
In this project, SINTEF researched optimization methods to handle both the dynamics and the associated uncertainty that is inherent in many kinds of transportation planning situations. In addition, SINTEF developed a prototype of an on-line traffic information system, from which automated planning tools might download updated travel time forecasts in real time. The data provided by this service were generated based on floating-car information from the taxi company participating in the project.
Duration: 2004 - 2007
Funding source: The project is funded by the “Puls programme” of the Norwegian Research Council and by the various partners.
Partners: The Norwegian Road Authorities, Schenker AS, Nor-Link AS, Oslo Taxi, and Spider Solutions AS.
Further information: http://www.doit.sintef.no/
Contact Person: Atle Riise
Title: NetranS - Optimization of Security Settlement
Project summary: SINTEF has delivered software that VPS uses to compute optimal clearing and settlement in the Norwegian financial market. All trades in financial instruments (e.g. stocks and bonds) may be entered into the security settlement system, whether traded on the Stock Exchange or not. All trades that are entered and matched on one day are settled simultaneously. Participants may have entered into more contracts than covered by securities or money at their disposal. Thus, not all trades can be settled, leading to the problem of deciding which trades to carry through. Our software solves this problem by maximizing the total value of the whole settlement, at the same time ensuring that priorities among trades are respected. The optimization module is a cornerstone in VPS’ settlement system.
Duration: 2003 -
Funding source: Industry (VPS)
Partners: VPS
Further information: http://www.vps.no/
Contact Person: Martin Stølevik
Title: I-Rute
Project summary: SINTEF ICT has, together with Landbruksdistribusjon, HydroTexaco, and Spider Solutions, developed transportation planning software suitable for transportation of bulk products. The project was a joint innovation project headed by Landbruksdistribusjon. The optimization engine we developed for bulk transportation planning supported complex constraints, such as modeling of compartments, weight distribution, handling of hazardous materials, and alternative depot locations.
Duration: 2003 - 2004
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway
Partners: Landbruksdistribusjon, Hydro Texaco, Spider Solutions
Contact Person: Eivind Nilssen
Title: Improved Optimisation Methods in Transportation Logistics (TOP)
Project summary: In TOP, the goal is to develop better discrete optimization methods to improve logistics performance in transportation. The results enable resolution of real-life planning tasks that are beyond the scope of practical resolution today. TOP targets effective resolution of large-size problem instances that are insoluble with current technology. The goal is to develop planning technology that significantly improves performance in terms of plan quality versus response time. Improvements in optimization methods are needed in order to develop more powerful support tools for strategic, tactical, and operational decisions in transportation. The main results from TOP are two software prototypes and their underlying models and optimization algorithms: A generic VRP solver for optimized fleet management, and a road topology module for shortest path calculations in transportation networks (also multi-modal) with time-varying speeds. In addition, TOP has a large number of scientific publications and best known solutions to standard VRP benchmarks. SINTEF’s scientific network in transportation optimization is considerably strengthened through TOP.
Duration: 2001-2004
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway (Strategic Institute Programme)
Partners: SINTEF ICT (Project Owner); The Norwegian TOP Network; CRT, University of Montreal; The TOP User Group
Further information: http://www.top.sintef.no/
Contact Person: Geir Hasle
