Founded in Madeira in May 1989 by 24 young researchers from 16 countries, the EWG-DSS has grown into a community of more than 300 members across Europe and beyond. We are one of the working groups of EURO, the Association of European Operational Research Societies.
Our mission is to foster collaboration and communication between researchers and practitioners in the field of Decision Support Systems worldwide.
Main Objectives
The circle below illustrates the process-loop that translates the main activities of the EWG-DSS envisaging the dissemination of DSS Information (1) and Research (2), in order to encourage DSS Development (3) and Collaboration (4) among the DSS researchers and professionals. As a consequence, Publication (5) opportunities to document the research & development processes and the end results are promoted within the EWG-DSS editions.
Specifically, to accomplish the main objectives listed above, the EWG-DSS promotes the following key-activities:
- Annual ICDSST Conference and other Conference-Streams organization related to Decision Support Systems topics.
- Annual Journal Special Issues publications, on support of the annual EWG-DSS organized Conferences, providing publication opportunities in the DSS Community.
- Annual EWG-DSS Newsletter publication, promoting the events and the research achievements of the EWG-DSS members and of the DSS Community as a whole.
- Annual EWG-DSS-Award: a motivating research initiative for young researchers to submit and present their work in one of the EWG-DSS annual organized events.
- Collaboration projects among the group members.
The Group in Numbers
- 37 years since the founding Summer Institute in Madeira, 1989
- 300 registered members, from many nationalities
- 12 ICDSST conferences, held every May since 2015
- 50+ meetings, workshops and conference streams since 1989
- 15 volumes in the Springer Decision Support Systems book series
- 20 annual newsletters, published since 2002
- 14 Young Researcher Awards, presented since 2011
- €0 cost of membership
What We Do
The group runs on an annual cycle, and each part feeds the next.
We meet. The ICDSST conference every May, hosted by a member institution, with a theme chosen to match where the field is heading — AI, digital twins, crisis response, sustainability. Plus DSS streams at EURO, IFORS and other major conferences.
We publish. Conference papers become volumes in the Springer LNBIP series; the best work is extended into guest-edited special issues of the field’s leading journals. An unbroken record going back to 1991.
We recognise new talent. The Young Researcher Award, presented each year since 2011 to the best work by a student or early career researcher at our conference.
We collaborate. Joint projects between member institutions, and the Collab-Net project, which maps research collaboration inside the group as a social network. When you need a partner for a European consortium, the Coordination Board can point you to the right member institution.
We report back. An annual newsletter, written by and for members, since 2002.
Where the Field Has Taken Us
Our Commitment
EWG-DSS is committed to promoting responsibility, diversity, and equal opportunity in Operations Research. We endorse the objectives of the EURO WISDOM Forum and support initiatives that foster inclusive participation, empower underrepresented groups, and encourage collaboration across the OR community.
