Cutting, Packing, Lot-Sizing, Scheduling, Routing & Location Problems and their integration in industrial and logistics settings.
The OptPL Thematic Project (process 2022/05803-3, May 2023–April 2028) addresses a wide range of discrete optimization and operations research problems, contributing innovative solutions to production and supply chain management.
Research spans seven interconnected problem classes — from cutting and packing of raw materials to vehicle routing and facility location — studied both independently and in integrated formulations that mirror real industrial complexity.
Beyond modeling and algorithm development, the project fosters deep collaboration between academia and industry through case studies, computational tools, and a multi-institutional network spanning 7 São Paulo universities.
This is the fourth consecutive FAPESP Thematic Project by this research group, building upon results achieved since 2006 — including 78 doctoral graduates, 159 master's degrees, and 554 peer-reviewed publications.
Funded by FAPESPSeven interconnected problem classes form the core of this thematic project, each with rich theoretical foundations and direct industrial applications.
Optimal strategies for cutting large stock objects into demanded items — guillotine/non-guillotine, irregular shapes, usable leftovers, and multi-objective variants across steel, paper, wood, and glass industries.
Efficient arrangement of items inside containers, bins, and pallets. Covers knapsack, bin packing, strip packing, and 3D loading, with stability constraints and extensions to circles and spheres.
Medium-term production planning over a finite horizon. Variants include parallel machines, multi-plant settings, setup carryover & crossover, blending, and perishable products.
Short-term task sequencing and machine allocation in flowshop and flexible job-shop environments, additive manufacturing scheduling, and just-in-time strategies.
Optimal routing of vehicle fleets with extensions for split deliveries, time windows, pickup-and-delivery, stochastic demand, drones, cumulative routing, and agricultural applications.
Strategic placement of facilities to best serve demand points. Applied to reverse logistics networks, rain gauge allocation, e-commerce warehousing, and Voronoi diagram theory.
Combined formulations linking lot-sizing with cutting/packing, scheduling with routing, and inventory routing — motivated by real industrial cases in beverages, furniture, agroindustry, and distribution.
1996–1998 · CNPq ProTeM-CC
The first large-scale collaborative project in cutting & packing, coordinated by Prof. Horacio Yanasse. Hosted the 1st National Workshop on Cutting and Packing — the origin of the ONPCE series.
2006–2010 · First FAPESP Thematic Project (2006/03496-3)
Focus on PCE problems with early integrated formulations combining cutting/packing with lot-sizing and scheduling. Hosted workshops X, XI, XII. Resulted in 151 articles and 17 doctoral graduates.
2010–2015 · Second FAPESP Thematic Project (2010/10133-0)
Intensified integrated problem studies and industrial case applications. Routing and location problems began to be investigated. Hosted 5 workshops. 205 articles, 29 doctoral graduates.
2017–2023 · Third FAPESP Thematic Project (2016/01860-1)
Problems E (routing) and F (location) fully incorporated. Five workshops, including online editions during COVID-19. 198 articles, 32 doctoral graduates, 50 ongoing doctoral supervisions at close.
2023–2028 · Current Project (2022/05803-3)
The project launches under the OptPL brand. 40 researchers across 7 institutions, including 6 CNPq PQ-1 fellows. Annual in-person workshops resumed. The XXVII ONPCE was held in Sorocaba, March 2026.
The team comprises 40 researchers at various career stages, from recent graduates to senior scientists with CNPq PQ-1 fellowships, collaborating with international partners from over 10 countries.
Principal InvestigatorsUpdates from the OptPL research project and the ONPCE workshop series.
The National Workshop on Cutting, Packing, Lot-Sizing, and Scheduling Problems (ONPCE) is the flagship annual event of the OptPL project, held continuously since 1997 — now in its 27th edition.
The workshop brings together researchers, industry practitioners, and students to present and discuss advances across all seven problem areas, with invited talks from leading national and international scientists.
Past distinguished speakers include researchers from UFMG, UFRJ, HEC Montréal, Georgia Tech, University of Edinburgh, FEUP, and many others.
Visit XXVII ONPCE Website →Date: March 12–13, 2026
Venue: UFSCar, Sorocaba
Invited Speakers: Prof. Helenice Oliveira (UNESP), Prof. Claudia Archetti (Univ. Brescia), Prof. Eduardo Barboza (UFF)
Panel: Gabriela Furtado (Mercado Livre), Volnei dos Santos (UniSoma), Prof. Tiago de Almeida (UFSCar)
