Speaker: Helena Ramalhinho Lourenço – (University of Barcelona)

Bio:

Helena Ramalhinho Lourenço is a Full Professor in the Economics and Business Department at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Statistics and Operations Research from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and a PhD in Operations Research from Cornell University, New York, USA.

She has been involved in numerous research projects and consulting activities for business organisations in the fields of Operations Research and Logistics. Helena has published extensively in leading international scientific journals and has presented her research at international congresses and conferences.

Helena teaches across undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs at UPF and other universities. She currently serves as Director of the Business Analytics Research Group at UPF.

Her research interests include Operations Research, Scheduling, Combinatorial Optimisation, Metaheuristics, Iterated Local Search, Heuristic Search Optimisation, Vehicle Routing, and applications in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management, and Health Care.

Currently, Helena is the Vice-Rector (Vice-President) for Internationalisation at Pompeu Fabra University.

Abstract:

Optimisation plays a vital role in generating social impact by enabling the efficient allocation of resources, supporting better decision-making, and increasing the effectiveness of various initiatives. In sectors such as healthcare and social services, the use of optimisation techniques can lead to significant cost savings, improved utilisation of resources, higher satisfaction among personnel and service users, and-most importantly-ensures that limited resources are directed to those who need them most. Ultimately, this fosters a more equitable and sustainable society.

In this talk, we will introduce optimisation tools grounded in mathematical modelling, algorithmic methodologies, and metaheuristics, with a focus on their application to Social Care Services. We will showcase real-world implementations involving organisations such as Banc del Moviment, Suara, and the Barcelona City Council.

The presentation will highlight specific applications, including:

• Logistics and scheduling for in-home social and healthcare services
• Optimisation of assistive technology service delivery
• Mobility solutions for social care provision
• Optimisation of shared door-to-door transportation for people with disability

We will discuss the mathematical programming models and metaheuristic algorithms used in these cases, emphasising the unique challenges and considerations of applying these tools in social care compared to more traditional domains such as manufacturing and retail

This event is Online Only:
JOIN VIA ZOOM – MEETING ID: 873 1557 5255; PASSWORD: 778635

SEMINAR: WED 14 OCTOBER 2026 4:00PM – 5:00PM (AEST, Melbourne Time)