News

IHTC 2024 Best Open-Source Software Prize

2025-06-30

ROAR-NET members Ahmad Othman and Marco Chiarandini won the Best Open-Source Software Prize in the Integrated Healthcare Timetabling Competition 2024 (IHTC 2024) with a local-search-based meta-heuristic algorithm implemented in Python and C++ following the ROAR-NET API specification. Their entry also made it to a close second place in the final ranking, which demonstrates the competitiveness of randomised optimisation algorithms in practice.

Award certificate

The competition problem integrates three critical aspects of healthcare operations:

  • Patient admission scheduling
  • Nurse-to-room assignment
  • Surgical case planning

Overall, 32 teams submitted their work within the deadline. The awards were presented in a dedicated session at the EURO 2025 Conference.

COST and European Union Logos
COST and European Union Logos

COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation.
www.cost.eu

COST Action CA22137
Action Chair: Dr. Carlos M. Fonseca
Start Date: 2 October 2023
End Date: 1 October 2027
www.cost.eu/actions/CA22137

University of Coimbra
Department of Informatics Engineering
Polo II, Pinhal de Marrocos
P-3030 290 Coimbra Portugal
E-mail: roar-net@dei.uc.pt
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