CTI-Monash Centre for Optimisation in Travel, Transport and Logistics

Supporting institutions - The Centre is a collaboration between the Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, and Constraint Technologies.

Vision - To become the world-leading research establishment for optimisation in travel, transportation and logistics, that includes all the techniques of Operations Research, Metaheuristics, Constraint Programming, and Artificial Intelligence.

Research - The CTI-Monash Centre for Optimisation seeks to increase the accuracy, scalability, and flexibility of optimisation software for solving problems in industry and government organisations. Our approach is to combine techniques from research areas that are currently separate, including constraint programming, mathematical programming and population-based techniques. Our methodology is to separate problem modelling from problem solving, and to transform the model into a form that can be efficiently solved by hybrid algorithms.

Monash objectives

Monash has three main objectives for the Centre:

• The Centre is a fundamental enabler for the parties' joint goal of establishing an ARC Centre of Excellence in Optimisation. Thus Monash will enhance its international profile in the area of optimisation, with the ultimate target of becoming the first worldwide centre for optimisation that includes all the techniques of Operations Research, Metaheuristics, Constraint Programming, and Artificial Intelligence.
• The Centre meets Monash's target of engagement and impact on Industry through our research.
• The Centre will attract world class researchers in the field of Optimisation through leading edge research and supported by additional funding.

CTI objectives

• The Centre will maintain CTI, its software and products at the leading edge of technology for planning and operational control in the transport, travel and logistics (TTL) sector.
• The Centre will create new optimisers satisfying and even stimulating demand within the target sector.
• The Centre will enhance the image and reputation of CTI in the eyes of existing and potential customers, partners and employees.

New-generation software for the transport
industry

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Alan Dormer, General Manager, (2004 - 2010)
Constraint Technologies International

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Background

Monash has a long history both in Operations Research and in Constraint Programming, whose core ideas were first published by Monash researchers in 1987. The current Optimisation and Constraint Solving group belongs to the Centre for Research in Intelligent Systems, which received over $1.5M in research funding in the last two ARC Discovery rounds.

Monash has also established a Laboratory for Travel, Transportation and Logistics, and has funded collaborations in the area of optimisation with National ICT Australia Limited (NICTA) and Melbourne Operations Research (MORe). CTI has over ten years experience of delivering optimisation technology in the form of software for planning and operational control in the TTL sector.

There is already a research relationship in place between CTI and Monash. The relationship began with a one-off 3-month consultancy in 2005. Subsequently two major ARC Linkage proposals were submitted and funded by the Australian government.