Problem Solving: OR and “Grand Challenges” in Loughborough and Beyond
Miles Weaver, (Lecturer, Edinburgh Napier University), Peter Keen CBE, (Director of Sport Advancement, Loughborough University), Ruth Kaufman, (President of The OR Society and Independent Consultant), Kierann Shah, (General Manager, National Space Centre) Gilberto Montibeller and Jiyin Liu, (Management Science and Operations Group and Operations Management, Loughborough University)

Addressing “grand challenges” is very much in the history and tradition of Operational Research (OR), in the past saving millions of lives and protecting Britain, ultimately helping to liberate Europe. Lane (2010) provides an account of how OR has addressed these grand challenges in the past and argued that OR holds considerable advantages to deal with strategic issues. This session builds upon the success of a “Grand Challenges” session held during the Portsmouth and Glasgow conferences, by asking: What “grand challenges” face us today and into the future? And what contribution can the OR community have to address them? We shall consider some challenges facing Loughborough, the East Midlands and UK as a whole and by doing so craft some proposals to “give back” an OR solution(s) that will make a lasting impact post OR59.
This year the session will have two themes: the future of sport and nationhood and how space exploration and applications might help us a little closer to home. Challenges in these areas will be outlined by our guests: Peter Keen CBE, Director of Sport Advancement at Loughborough University and Dr. Kieran Shah, General Manager at the National Space Academy. Peter played a pivotal role in the country’s medal success at the London 2012 Games and is credited for ‘Mission 2012’ a strategic performance management system and reporting process for all Olympic and Paralympic elite sports and as acted as the national coach for British Cycling, supporting cyclists to win Olympic and world titles. Kieran holds responsibility for the delivery of the Space Academy’s funded and commercial programmes and has interests in space applications; removing borders, just horizons for women in science and engineering as well as holding aspirations to find the next Tim Peake.
Following the outlining of challenges by our guests, we shall turn to consider the potential customers of OR and assess the impact that OR could make in addressing them. We shall invite suggestions for potential projects that could be worked up into proposals for consultancy, collaborative research, student projects and draw on the success of the ORS Pro Bono service.
Health and Social Care

свернуть