Chair: Aziz Naamane

Affiliation: Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Information et des Systèmes (France)

Track Description: This track is dedicated to research papers on theoretical analysis, experimental studies and innovations concerning automatic control and system engineering. This track is ,therefore, not only a forum where researchers, scientists, engineers and vendors can exchange their knowledge and experience, but also serves as an educational channel for students and any others who would like to learn more about the new trends in this field of study. Industry oriented papers are welcome. By bringing together the researchers from Academia and Industry, we hope to foster collaboration and promote exchange of ideas. This track will highlight products trends, services and solutions in the field of:

• Factory Automation, Process Automation
• Instrumentation & Controls Systems
• Power Plant Automation, Building Automation, Robotics
• Bus & Wireless Technology Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Please be sure to select “Automation” as main topic during the submission.

Chair: Aziz Naamane

Affiliation: Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Information et des Systèmes (France)

Track Description: Buildings account for more than half of the European primary energy usage. The main objective is to reduce the energy consumption of buildings at lowest investment and operating costs, with at the same time reducing peak power demand and improving occupant comfort. The session focuses on the application of the newest developments from the fields of building technologies, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and control engineering. This session will highlight trend and solutions for control approaches in building automation systems. Papers are requested with a strong focus on theoretical analysis, experimental studies and innovations concerning automatic control and system engineering. This session is, therefore, not only a forum where researchers, scientists, engineers and vendors can exchange their knowledge and experience, but also serves as an educational channel for students and any others who would like to learn more about the new trends in this field of study. Industry oriented papers are welcome. By bringing together the researchers from Academia and Industry, we hope to foster collaboration and promote exchange of ideas. The topics of the papers in this session are mainly:

• Control and monitoring of Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources and Systems for buildings
• Prediction control of energy production and demand
• Simulation analysis and control of buildings systems
• Software tools, BIM and BEM (Building Energy Modelling and management) – Optimal control and connections adaptation
• Theoretical aspects of building performance modelling and simulation

Please be sure to select “Control and monitoring of Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources and Systems for buildings” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Fabio De Felice, ^(b)Antonella Petrillo

Affiliation: ^(a)University of Cassino (Italy), ^(b)Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope” (Italy)

Track Description: The Track offers the possibility to present results and critical issues concerning Decision Support Systems, the theory underlying such systems and its applications. The aim is to promote a yearly occasion on meeting for researchers and practitioners to exchange new ideas and practical experience in the areas of Decision Support Systems, in order to give them a chance for growing in the field of research. Topics of interest include:

• Machine Learning
• Modelling techniques of Decision Support Systems
• Industrial and Engineering Applications of Decision Support Systems
• Decision Support Systems in E-Commerce
• Group Decision Support Systems
• Expert Systems
• Soft Computing Techniques
• Multi-Criteria Decision Making (AHP Method, Electre Method, ect.)
• Datawarehousing and datamining
• Project Management Techniques and Operational Research
• Executive Information Systems
• Knowledge-based Decision Support Systems
• Strategic Decision Support Systems

Topics are an opportunity to present and observe the latest research, results, and ideas in these areas. Nevertheless different topics concerning Application on Decision Support Systems are welcome. Authors are kindly invited to include in their papers and presentations all the research works, case studies and application both theoretical and applied.

Please be sure to select “​Decision Support Systems Applications” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Horacio Pérez-Sánchez, ^(b) José M. Cecilia

Affiliation: ^(a)(b)Universidad Católica San Antonio (Murcia) (Spain)

Track Description: The goal of this track is to explore the use of emerging parallel computing architectures as well as High Performance Computing systems (Supercomputers, Clusters, Grids) for the simulation of relevant biological systems. We welcome papers, not submitted elsewhere for review, with a focus in topics of interest ranging from but not limited to:

• Parallel stochastic simulation
• Biological and Numerical parallel computing
• Parallel and distributed architectures
• Emerging processing architectures (e.g. GPUs, FPGAs, mixed CPU-GPU or CPU-FPGA)
• Parallel Model checking techniques
• Parallel algorithms for biological analysis
• Cluster and Grid Deployment for system biology
• Tools and applications
• Biologically inspired algorithms

Please be sure to select “​High Performance Simulation of Biological Systems” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Agostino Bruzzone, ^(b)Peer Olaf Siebers

Affiliation: ^(a)DIME – University of Genoa (Italy), ^(b)University of Nottingham (United Kingdom)

Track Description: The track aims to bring together latest research and application on modelling and simulating the way persons act and react within technical systems in certain situations or under certain conditions, the role human actors play in simulation projects, and the impact human knowledge and experience have on model building and simulation output interpretation. With this, we want to provide a platform for discussion and exchange on needs, approaches, methods and tools for supporting both representation of active, intervening humans as subject of modelling and simulation, and involvement of intuitive, experienced humans as modelling and simulation knowledge stakeholders.

Topic of interest include:

• Modelling and simulation of human behaviour
• Modelling and simulation of manual operations and for staff allocation
• Modelling and simulation of human decision making in industrial applications
• Integration of human thinking and decision making into modelling and simulation – interaction and collaboration between simulation model and simulation user based upon knowledge and experience
• Human modelling and simulation to solve real-world problems focusing on human-centred technologies in every aspect of design, manufacturing, and safety
• Serious Gaming for Behavioural Assessment and Research

Please be sure to select “​Human-centred and Human-focused Modelling and Simulation” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Adriano Solis, ^(b)Letizia Nicoletti

Affiliation: ^(a)York University (Canada), ^(b)Simulation Team (Italy)

Track Description: The Track offers the possibility to present results and critical issues concerning Inventory Management procedures using Modeling and Simulation. Topics of interest include:

• Inventory Models and their Implementation through M&S based approach
• Inventory Control Policies Comparison and Optimization
• Statistical Forecasting Approaches in Inventory Management
• Warehouse Organization, Control and Optimization
• Inventory Management Application in Industry: case studies
• MRP and ERP for the Inventory Management
• Safety Stock Analysis
• Inventory Management Costs Control Strategies

Please be sure to select “​Inventory Management Simulation” as main topic during the submission.

Chair: David del Rio Vilas

Affiliation: Ferrovial Services (Spain)

Track Description: Production systems design is one of the most critical and crucial issues in industrial engineering. It becomes more important because of the worldwide competition and due to the rapid progress of manufacturing technologies. In this context, many manufacturing companies are changing their production systems to be more competitive and to insure their efficiency on the global market. Modelling and Simulation is one of the most important support for production system and industrial plants design problems. In addition simulation models can be used for system design evaluation, for the analysis of the system concepts and for the testing systems specification within virtual and digital environments.

The aim of this track is to present recent results dealing with applications of simulation and/or optimization, new methods and decision aid tools applied to production systems design and provide experts in that field with an opportunity to exchange information and discuss new developments in this field. State of the art applications, simulation techniques applications and hybrid approaches for the optimization of production system design are encouraged. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following areas:

• Modern design techniques
• Manufacturing plant and systems design
• Coupling optimization and simulation in production system design
• Performance evaluation of the design of a production system
• Heuristics and meta-heuristic approach in production systems design
• Design of flexible production systems
• Applications to manufacturing systems, software engineering, transport system, etc.
• Strategies for organizing physical resources
• Factory organization: machining systems, assembly and transfer lines, manufacturing cells, cell design methodology, facility layout
• Quantitative modeling of facilities design, assembly and transfer line balancing, process planning/equipment selection
• Machine failures, capacity analysis, buffer allocation
• Optimization techniques/methodologies in production system design
• Low automated and traditional manufacturing processes Modelling and Simulation
• Modeling and simulation of reconfigurable factories
• Virtual and augmented process development
• Implementation of changeable and reconfigurable manufacturing systems

Please be sure to select “​Production Systems Design” as main topic during the submission.

Chair: David del Río Vilas

Affiliation: Ferrovial Services (Spain)

Track Description: During the last decades, Modelling and Simulation has provided a reliable framework to support the decision making processes in a wide variety of production systems, from their conception to their decommissioning. In the last few years, the Industry 4.0 umbrella has emerged as a mix of technologies and methodological frameworks focused on leveraging the effectiveness and efficiency of production systems, providing new levels of connectivity, information availability, and capacity. Digital Twins naturally adopt the role of director of these Industry 4.0 technologies, conducting their behaviour and performance by connecting the real and virtual realms. In this context, simulation can adopt different roles in enabling authentic Digital Twins for production processes and assets. This track aims at receiving original papers providing insightful experiences about authentic Digital Twins implementations and the role of Simulation. A focus on the key factors that determined the opportunity, feasibility and above all, sustainability of the simulation and Digital Twins implemented solutions will be appreciated.

Please be sure to select “​Simulation and Digital Twins: Directing the Industry 4.0 Orchestra” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Yilin Huang, ^(b)Alexander Verbraeck

Affiliation: ^(a)(b)Delft University of Technology (Netherlands)

Track Description: Designing complex systems has critical implications at the strategic, tactical and operational levels for organizations in public and private sectors. Its processes often follow an iterative and incremental path where multiple actors are involved. Design faults are difficult to foresee and could entail high costs. To tackle these problems, Simulation Based Design (SBD) allows designers to study and evaluate design alternatives, gaining better understanding of the designed system. Although SBD holds great potential, its realization is hindered by the fact that M&S is a time intensive and highly specialized activity which, with the current M&S methodology and tools, has not been fully integrated in the design process. This track provides SBD researchers with a platform to exchange their recent research ideas, experiences and results, and to discuss related topics. The topics of this SDB track include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Theory and Methodologies of SBD
• Requirement analysis
• SBD processes and frameworks
• SBD environments, tools and techniques
• Model verification and validation in SBD
• Case studies
• Data integration in SBD
• Data visualization in SBD
• SBD optimization
• Risk analysis
• Model generation in SBD
• User interface design of SBD tools

Please be sure to select “​Simulation Based Design” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Pasquale Legato, ^(b)Rina Mary Mazza

Affiliation: ^(a)(b)University of Calabria (Italy)

Track Description: Simulation based optimization is an integrated methodology developed around the problem of optimizing a cost/performance function over a finite or countably infinite set of alternative system configurations/parameters, whenever the function has to be estimated via stochastic simulation. Modern system design and management ask for the generation of alternative system configurations followed by the choice of what alternative to simulate as well as how to evaluate and compare simulation results. Hence, the track is centered on new developments in simulation optimization techniques and tools as well as on their practical applications and implementation on classical and innovative platforms. In particular, reports on discrete-event simulation combined with structured search methods for solving real problems in system organization and management are welcome. Topics of interest include:

• Discrete-event simulation optimization tools and innovative computational platforms
• Modeling languages and simulation world views
• Selecting the best system
• Warehouse Organization, Control and Optimization
• Local and global search methods
• Combining search algorithms with ranking and selection techniques
• Applications of simulation based optimization techniques

Nevertheless, different discrete-event simulation-centered topics are welcome. Authors are kindly invited to include in their papers and presentations all the research works, case studies and application both theoretical and applied.

Please be sure to select “​Simulation-based Optimization” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Agostino Bruzzone, ^(b)Francesco Longo, ^(c)Ian Mazal, ^(d)Marina Massei, ^(e)Anna Franca Sciomachen

Affiliation: ^(a)Simulation Team Genoa, University of Genoa (Italy), ^(b)University of Calabria (Italy), ^(c)Brno University of Defence (Czech Republic), ^(d)Liophant Simulation (Italy), ^(e)DIEC (Italy)

Track Description: The Track invites to propose innovative Models and Simulators developments to support Strategic Engineering in application fields including: Industry, Government, International Initiatives, Defense and Homeland Security. Applications of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Scenario Identification, Definition and Analysis
• Support Decision Makers by Quantitative Methods, Models, and Analytical Approaches
• Development of Models of Complex Systems
• Strategic Planning and Analysis
• Strategic Analysis and Decision Support in Defense
• Support to Governmental & International Institutions, Policy Makers and Public Authorities
• Support to Industries in Strategic Decision Making, Planning and Scenario Definition
• Data Farming by Simulation to extend, integrate and fuse Big Data for Data Analytics
• Development of New Algorithms, Models and Architecture devoted to model Complex Systems
• Modeling, also through capture of data & information conditioning, of the Scenario
• Supporting Organization Management in Objectives Definition and Strategic Planning
• Simulation, through the implementation of Self-built Systems and/or of the Evolution of Events
• Development of Plans to Defend and Restore Systems and Organizations
• Strategic Cyberwarfare
• Hybrid Warfare
• Strategic Communications
• Strategies for Defense
• Defense and Homeland Security

Topics are an opportunity to present and observe the latest research, results, and ideas in these areas. Authors are kindly invited to include in their papers and presentations all the research works, case studies and application both theoretical and applied.

Please be sure to select “​Simulation for Strategic Engineering” as main topic during the submission.

Chair: Janos Sebestyen Janosy

Affiliation: Centre for Energy Research Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) (Hungary)

Track Description: Due to the ongoing crisis in economy and to the rapidly growing energy prices future trends and perspectives in the energy generation and distribution are changing rapidly. Studies of different options are unthinkable without extensive simulation. The proposed track concentrates on simulation studies in the following topics:

• Alternative energy resources – solar, wind and others
• Traditional renewables – water and biomass
• Revival of nuclear energy generation – fission or fusion
• Hydrogen energy – generation, storage and utilization problems
• Low emission transport – hydrogen driven and electrical vehicles
• Electrical energy distribution networks – large and small
• Local energy generation and management
• Intelligent energy distribution networks

Please be sure to select “​Simulation in Energy Generation and Distribution” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Thècle Alix, ^(b)Nicolas Daclin, ^(c)Joseph Youssef, ^(b)Gregory Zacharewicz,

Affiliation: ^(a)ENSAM (France), ^(b)IMT Mines Ales (France), ^(c)American University of Bayreuth (Lebanon)

Track Description: Papers are invited in the areas of enterprise product and service modeling and simulation in order to reduce risk (e.g., delay to make product/service available) and ensure the interoperability, efficiency, effectiveness and relevance of systems implementation and use, presenting original work and not previously published from academics and professionals. Topics for the conference include, but are not limited to:

• Conceptual Services Modeling Methods Tools and Frameworks (GRAI, UEML…) for Enterprise and Networked Organization
• Manufacturing Systems/Services Applications
• Discrete Event (e.g., Petri Nets, State charts, DEVS) Service Modeling
• Services models for intra and inter-organizations interoperability
• Enterprise Workflow Systems for Service Delivery
• Requirements Engineering for Interoperable Enterprise Ontologies
• Distributed Enterprise Services Modeling and Simulation
• Standard for Synchronization and Interoperability of Distributed Enterprise Models (e.g., HLA)
• Architectures and Platforms for Providing Services
• Ontology-based Semantic Annotations and Meta-Data for Models for Services Interoperability
• Reasoning methods and tools for Service model transformation (MDE, MDA, MDI, MDSEA, MDISE)
• Modular design of product service systems
• Modeling and simulation for anticipating and reducing risk in PSS systems
• Modeling and simulation of systems, processes, and organization interoperability

Nevertheless, original communications on topics related to service, PSS modeling, and simulation are encouraged and welcome.

Please be sure to select “​Modeling & Simulation Driven Approaches for Building Interoperable Enterprises Products & Services System” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Peer-Olaf Siebers, ^(b)Theodore L. Turocy

Affiliation: ^(a)(b)School of Computer Science, Nottingham University (United Kingdom)

Track Description: The track aims to bring together current research and applications combining Behavioural Game Theory (BGT) with Agent-Based Social Simulation (ABSS). While the Multiagent Systems literature, for example, has considered applications of rational-choice game theory in multiagent decision systems, there are yet seems to be little interplay between the insights of BGT and ABSS. Insofar as the domain of BGT includes procedural models of how agents reason about and learn about their own payoffs, and the strategies and payoffs of others, BGT and ABSS would appear to be ideal complements.

Much of BGT has been developed via a dialogue with the behavior of human subjects in controlled laboratory experiments. Linkage with the techniques of ABSS may open up opportunities for models of behavior in social systems that involve many more actors, or have much richer strategic environments, than those typically studied to date in laboratory experiments. For this track, we seek contributions that aim to combine BGT and ABSS by, for example:

• Using ABSS to model behaviour as observed in laboratory experiments, validating BGT models
• Creating models which capture how agents may process a rich strategic environment by, for example, extracting salient features
• Using ABSS as a framework for organising predictions about behaviour in settings with heterogeneous agents
• Using ABSS to make predictions about behaviour in strategic environments where rational-choice game theory does not offer clear predictions, such as “recurrent” games in which similar situations are encountered by an agent over and over, but with different co-players each time

We are equally interested in contributions that propose other promising interactions between BGT and ABSS we have not contemplated here.

Please be sure to select “​The Interplay between Behavioral Game Theory and Agent-Based Social Simulation” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Francesco Longo, ^(b)Agostino Bruzzone

Affiliation: ^(a)University of Calabria (Italy), ^(b)University of Genoa (Italy)

Track Description: The workshop intends to offer a valuable opportunity to present recent results and discuss open issues on Serious Games (SGs) in the Safety, Security and Crisis Management domain. The field is explored from a theoretical, technological, educational as well as pedagogical standpoint. The aim is to promote an opportunity for researchers, developers, users and practitioners to exchange new ideas and experience, in order to contribute to overcome fragmentations among different kinds of stakeholders in the field, and fill possible gaps between user requirements and solutions available on the market. Topic of interest include:

• Modeling and simulation
• Products to support serious games development and deployment
• Advanced Human-Computer Interaction
• Advances in Artificial intelligence for serious games in the selected fields
• Advances in Physical Modeling
• Advances in game engines
• Efficient development tools (including narrative aiding)
• Augmented and virtual reality
• Interoperability and standards
• Pervasive gaming
• Mobile gaming
• Methodologies and principles for serious games user assessment
• Support for learner performance assessment (stealth, formative, summative)
• Mapping pedagogical principles and serious games mechanics for SGs in safety, security and crisis management
• How to balance realism and fidelity, engagement, learning and entertainment?
• User studies applying serious games in training (professional, corporate and executive training, skill development and other programs)
• Verification of learning transfer
• Study of long-term learning impact

Topics are seen as an opportunity to present and observe the latest research studies, results, and ideas in the specific areas of interest. Nevertheless different topics on the field of Serious Games applied to Safey, Crisis Management and Security are very welcome. Authors are kindly invited to include in their papers and presentations research works, both theoretical and applied, case studies and applications.

The workshop will include a discussion panel aimed at identifying envisaged trends for applications of SGs to Security, Safety and Crisis Management in the near- and mid-term future (5 to 10 years ahead), and hence a roadmap to foster new studies and effective developments. Please be sure to select “​Workshop on Serious Games applied to Safety, Crisis Management and Security” as main topic during the submission.

Co-Chairs: ^(a)Gerson Cunha, ^(b)Maria Celia Santos Lopes

Affiliation: ^(a)Grupo de Realidade Virtual Aplicada, LAMCE/COPPE/UFRJ (Brasil), ^(b)Laboratorio de Métodos Computacionais em Engenharia – COPPE/UFRJ (Brasil)

Track Description: The Workshop has the purpose of bringing together recent studies, proposals and reviews related to improving data/information presentation, visualization and interaction for engineering projects. Constant improvements and advances in visualization/interface technologies make it possible to view large data structures in real time on a wide range of platforms, such as, mobile computers, smartphones and traditional computers. The current session scope includes, but is not limited to, new approaches to CAVE systems, 3D Stereoscopic Display, Collaborative Visualization for decision support, Cloud Render, Render Streaming, Outdoor/Indoor Augmented Reality, Project Clash Detection, Project Visualization associated with Management methodologies, Visual/Graphic Information Management and Distribution, Interface Design and Visualization, Tangible/Haptic Interfaces. The topics of this track include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• IEngineering data general visualization
• Collaborative Visualization Systems
• Information visualization management and optimization
• Visualization interaction interfaces (tangible/haptic)
• Mobile Visualization for Engineering
• Review on Visualization/Engineering subjects
• Rendering systems for high quality/performance visualization
• Visualization performance validation and simulation for projects
• Real Time Location Systems (RTLS)
• Identification and recognition of objects and people
• Three Dimensional Reconstruction

Please be sure to select “​Workshop on Virtual and Augmented reality” as main topic during the submission.