IBM Zurich Research Laboratory: Business Optimization Group

SPONSOR of the EURO Excellence in Practice Award

The IBM Zurich Research Laboratory (ZRL) is the European branch of IBM Research. This worldwide network of some 3500 employees in eight laboratories around the globe is the largest industrial research organization in the world.

The Zurich laboratory was established in 1956 and currently employs some 320 persons of more than 30 nationalities. World-class research and outstanding scientific achievements, most notably two Nobel prizes, are associated with ZRL. Its spectrum of research activities ranges from basic science and fundamental research in physics and mathematics, to the development of computer systems and software, to the design of novel business models and services that are becoming available "on demand".

One focal research area at IBM Research and ZRL is Business Optimization. Researchers in this area have advanced degrees in Operations Research, Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science. Their expertise can be categorized in the general fields of data analytics (statistics, data mining, machine learning), mathematical optimization (mathematical, stochastic and dynamic programming, search heuristics) and discrete-event simulation. The group conducts research on topics like Bayesian networks, causality, robustness of optimization solutions and large scale optimization, while they look into applications in the areas of marketing, supply chain management and risk. The Business Optimization Group actively participates in university programs across Europe, and offers student internships, pre-doc and post-doc positions.

Researchers in Business Optimization also apply their expertise directly with clients through IBM's On Demand Innovation Services, a client-facing organization in Research launched in 2002 in concert with IBM's Global Business Services.

Information on projects by the Business Optimization Group at ZRL can be found at their web page http://www.zurich.ibm.com/csc/optimization/.