Improved industrial planning
Industrial companies commonly use mathematical models to help economise production planning and scheduling. However, the available models are often unrealistic and need manual tweaking. Aiming to improve matters was the EU-funded project 'Industrial extensions to production planning and scheduling' (PPEXT)(opens in new window). The partnership included one university each from Portugal and the United Kingdom, which liaised closely with three from Brazil. The researchers worked together via long secondments. The group's goal was to increase the realism of industrial modelling solutions. The consortium lasted for three years to May 2013, and achieved all five of its objectives. The research team developed extensions to production planning models that able to realistically handle the complexities of specific industries. It also devised methods for solving the models. Testing was conducted in six industrial applications, affecting both Brazil and the EU, and showed an improvement in efficiency. Results were disseminated within Brazilian and academic European circles via conferences and formal publications. Furthermore, PPEXT's knowledge outcomes were transferred from academia to industry, and between Brazil and the EU. The project also fulfilled a European Research Area (ERA) goal: to strengthen research relationships between the two regions. Plans for further collaboration are under development, such as extending the team's work into other applications, including health care. Thanks to PPEXT, industrial modelling is more effective, and enduring research relationships have been forged between Brazil and the EU.
