CWI-VU Amsterdam research finalist for TKI Dinalog Impact Award

An AI research project that helps organizations plan transport routes and production more efficiently has been shortlisted for the TKI Dinalog Impact Award. Rob van der Mei from CWI’s Stochastics group and VU Amsterdam, together with VU mathematicians Leon Lan and project leader Joost Berkhout, developed open-source software that tackles inefficiencies in logistics.

In current practice, transport and production planning are often handled separately, even though they strongly affect one another. This leads to unnecessary costs, inefficient use of vehicles and production capacity, and additional emissions. AI-BIPTO (Artificial Intelligence-Boosted Integrated Production and Transport Optimization) developed mathematical tools to overcome these inefficiencies and to better align production and transport planning.

Software

AI-BIPTO contributed to the development of two powerful open-source software packages:

PyVRP provides advanced optimization algorithms to plan more efficient routes. It supports applications ranging from day-to-day delivery planning to longer-term fleet analysis. Downloaded more than 40,000 times per month, it is used worldwide across sectors including e-commerce, food and beverage, and waste management.

PyJobShop makes advanced production scheduling methods accessible for manufacturing and processing applications. It helps organizations coordinate tasks, machines, and other resources while accounting for production constraints and deadlines. In an industrial pilot, it reduced production lead times by up to 10% compared with manual planning.

Continuous development

By making these contributions openly available, AI-BIPTO enables companies, students and researchers to use and build on state-of-the-art optimization methods. The software is continually developed and has become a resource for practical applications, research and education.

About the award

The TKI Dinalog Impact Award recognises significant contributions to logistics in the Netherlands. Its winner will be announced at the Toekomst van Logistiek conference on 29 September 2026 at Flint in Amersfoort. A public vote and the jury’s assessment will jointly determine the outcome.

More information is available on the TKI Dinalog awards page.

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