Science & AI
We have applied the latest mathematical techniques in our solutions from the start. To achieve this, we maintain strong ties with the academic world. This bond ensures that our people are operating on the cutting edge of new technologies and developments in the fields of analytics and optimization. Various ORTEC employees teach at universities. We also collaborate closely with academic institutions and sponsor PhD-projects in cutting-edge optimization and AI-techniques.
Applying mathematics in our solutions
We use a powerful combination of machine learning and intelligent optimization to use data to its full potential, while guaranteeing performance and respecting strict business constraints. We are constantly investigating new ways to use these techniques as reflected on our development roadmap. All data, produced by our solutions, is stored in our Data & Analytics Monitor to apply continuous improvement.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is defined as the intelligence demonstrated by machines in contrast to the natural intelligence of humans. Ever since our foundation in 1981, ORTEC starts with fully understanding the challenge at hand and then use all relevant data together with the best suitable mathematical techniques (including AI) to optimize the business challenge.
Our toolset includes Machine Learning and other forms of AI. Our optimizers contain self-learning mechanisms to select the best performing algorithms for the case at hand (also called instance-learning). We do this without losing sight of customer needs. All of our optimizers are customized to address the customer’s situation. That is why AI is part of ORTEC’s DNA.
Collaboration with universities
Collaboration with academia is at the core of our innovation. One of our founders, Gerrit Timmer, has been a professor of Business Econometrics at the Free University, Amsterdam for over 25 years. Since 2005, Goos Kant is a professor at Tilburg University and Jheronimus Academy of Data Science. A significant number of our employees hold a PhD degree in the field of Operational Research, Mathematics or related scientific disciplines. ORTEC also maintains a continuous pool of master thesis students, who research and work on the latest scientific insights and technologies.
In general, we hire master students from many leading Dutch universities, including the Free University of Amsterdam (VU), the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Delft University of Technology (TUD), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), University of Twente (UT), Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), Tilburg University, as well as Belgian universities such as KU Leuven.
We actively participate in several research collaborations, including a long-term partnership with Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) on Home Delivery in Retail. This collaboration has resulted in several PhD theses, such as those of Liana van der Hagen and Thomas Visser on time slotting in home delivery, and scientific papers in top journals like Transportation Science. For example: Machine Learning-Based Feasibility Checks for Dynamic Time Slot Management (2022), Transportation Science.
ORTEC has an active collaboration with academic authorities like Prof. Den Hertog (University of Amsterdam), Prof. Bertsimas (MIT), and Prof. Savelsbergh (Georgia Tech). Together with the University of Amsterdam, we founded The Analytics Academy in 2015. We co-founded Rhythm with the Centre for Healthcare Operations Improvement and Research of Twente University (CHOIR). Rhythm is a key supplier of expertise, services and software in healthcare.
Awards
ORTEC has a strong track record in the scientific and mathematical community and is closely linked with the prestigious Franz Edelman Award, recognized as the Nobel prize for optimization. We were a finalist in 2007 together with Coca-Cola and Tilburg University, and in 2012 we won the award with TNT Express and Tilburg University. In 2016, we won the International Algorithm Programming Contest and the Dutch Mathematics Olympiad for Business.
More recently, our teams have achieved excellent results in several international academic contests:
- Winner of the DIMACS Challenge on the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows.
- 3rd place at the ROADEF Challenge on a 3D Truck Loading Optimization Problem.
- 4th place at the Integrated Healthcare Timetabling Competition.
We continuously measure and benchmark our results in a scientific way and work closely with academia to stay at the forefront of our discipline.
Let’s Talk About Innovation and AI
Have a challenge that could benefit from advanced optimization or AI? Our experts are ready to explore how ORTEC’s solutions can drive smarter, data-driven decisions for your business.
