MesICCL2021

Selected works from the 12th International Conference on Computational Logistics (ICCL 2021) will be invited to submit an extended version of their accepted paper for ICCL 2021 to a special issue dedicated to “Artificial Intelligence for Automation in Freight Transport” in International Transactions in Operational Research (ITOR). This call is also open to authors that could not participate in the conference, provided the paper fits within the scope of this special issue.

For more information, see the CfP at Wiley: doi.org/10.1111/itor.13047.

Despite the positive outlook with regards to COVID-19 developments, we decided to again organize ICCL as a fully online conference. This was not a decision we took lightly and required some thinking that we want to share with you below.

On the one hand, given the reduction in infections and the pace of our vaccination programs, it seems likely we can freely travel again in many places by the end of September, and we can have a proper physical conference at the campus of the University of Twente. However, on the other hand, this might not be the case everywhere, and booking flight tickets in advance might be tricky for most participants. A hybrid conference might work but would certainly not provide an equal experience to all participants (i.e., virtual and physical ones). In this sense, those joining online would have a relatively hard time to properly interact with physical attendants. Therefore, we decided to have a fully online conference. This should allow everybody to have the same experience and we will do our utmost to make it a lively, energetic, interactive, valuable, and informative experience for all of you. Also, in that regard, we ensure that the registration fees for presenters and participants are very reasonable given the virtual format of the conference.

As already announced during the closing talk of ICCL2020, the conference will again be organized by the University of Twente, but now hopefully physically a the University of Twente instead of virtually. It is our great pleasure to cordially invite you to participate and contribute to the conference. As of today, the website for the ICCL2021 conference is online! This website will be updated frequently to include up-to-date information regarding, e.g., changes in a physical or virtual organization, call for papers for a special issue, keynote speakers, etc. So, keep an eye on iccl2020.nl.

The Organizing Committee of the International Conference on Computational Logistics 2020 has come to the difficult decision to organize this year’s conference fully online. There are, unfortunately, still too many uncertainties regarding COVID-19, e.g., related to traveling and social distancing restrictions, and even the possibility of a second wave. Although some people might be able to attend, it is likely that many people would still find it difficult to travel to The Netherlands. With this decision, we not only aim at organizing an engaging conference in a completely new format, but it is also our intention to organize next year’s conference in-person at the University of Twente, The Netherlands.

Registration will open in a few weeks, and fees will be drastically lower than for an in-person meeting. Note that all participants in the conference must register for the conference and pay the registration fee. Furthermore, each accepted paper and abstract must have a unique registration and a corresponding presentation at the conference by one of the paper’s authors. Details about the online setup of this conference will follow soon.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the online conference.

Selected works from the conference will be invited to submit an extended version of their accepted paper to a post-conference special issue in Annals of Operations Research. This call is also open to authors that could not participate in the conference, provided the paper fits within the scope of this special issue and that an extended abstract of the paper has been approved by the guest editors; deadline for this extended abstract is September 20, 2020. More information can be found here.

The conference location has been arranged. ICCL 2020 will take place in the brand new hotel and conference location U Parkhotel. This superb hotel is located centrally on the campus of the University of Twente campus, where the vibrancy of UT gives way to the tranquillity of nature. A beautiful location, with the bustling city life of Enschede and Hengelo just a few minutes away. For our ICCL 2020 guests, we also reserved a number of gorgeous and comfortable hotel rooms within the U Parkhotel against a reduced rate. Furthermore, we made agreements with Fletcher Hotel De Broeierd, which is at a walking distance from the conference location.

As of today, the website for the ICCL2020 conference is online! This website will be updated frequently to include up-to-date information regarding, e.g., the conference venue and accomodation, call for papers, scientific committees, etc. So , keep an eye on iccl2020.nl.