Many academic fields have contributed to optimisation methodologies and technologies, but the siloed nature of these efforts misses an opportunity. OPTIMA will integrate multidisciplinary optimisation methodologies, spearheaded by its world-leading investigators who span relevant disciplines, into a common toolkit. By tackling industry problems that require inspiration from multiple fields, OPTIMA will dissolve silos, making state-of-the-art methodologies more accessible to industry.

Industrial optimisation problems are typically “messier” and more complex than classical text-book examples for which optimisation techniques are developed. They are large-scale, with multiple competing objectives, multi-source uncertainties, and require decisions on multiple time-scales. OPTIMA will radically advance an industry-ready optimisation toolkit to support such complexities exemplified by our collection of industry partner challenge problems.

Successful application of optimisation methods for industrial decision-making problems requires significant expertise, often beyond the reach of domain experts in a position to identify key industry needs. Current end-user tools for optimisation are limited in the feedback and guidance they provide to users, affecting trust and uptake. OPTIMA will transform optimisation technology to prioritise end-user ease, comprehension, and trust.