{"id":7447,"date":"2022-07-06T14:18:41","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T14:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meetings.informs.org\/wordpress\/wsc2026\/?page_id=7447"},"modified":"2026-03-27T12:59:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T12:59:27","slug":"simulation-challenge","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/meetings.informs.org\/wordpress\/wsc2026\/simulation-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Simulation Challenge 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Since its inception in 2022 as the \u201cCase Study Competition,\u201d the Winter Simulation Conference (WSC) Simulation Challenge has consistently emphasized the vital role of simulation in bridging the gap between academia and industry. This initiative is rooted in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, driving innovation, and addressing real-world challenges through advanced simulation technologies.<\/p>\n

This year, aligning with the WSC 2026 theme \u201cSimulation for Climate Resilience,\u201d the Challenge focuses on demonstrating how discrete\u2011event simulation can act as a decision\u2011enabling infrastructure for managing climate\u2011induced disruptions in complex maritime logistics systems. Rather than emphasizing model construction, the Challenge shifts toward empowering participants to develop dynamic, resilience\u2011oriented decision policies for liner\u2011shipping networks exposed to stochastic climate disruptions. Participants are invited to design, optimize, and evaluate adaptive decision algorithms\u2014covering vessel deployment, port\u2011level operations, and cargo routing\u2014within a standardized simulation environment. The goal is to enhance system adaptability and minimize transport delays under extreme climate uncertainty, reflecting the growing need for resilient maritime logistics in an increasingly volatile global environment.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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We are excited to announce that the 2026 Simulation Challenge is co-organized by the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management (ISEM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Department of Engineering at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom) and the Department of Industrial Engineering at Tsinghua University (China), showcasing the global and interdisciplinary nature of this event.<\/p>\n

This competition offers participants a unique opportunity to engage with industry leaders, gain recognition for their innovative contributions, and compete for prestigious awards. Participants will also have an opportunity to present their solutions at the conference, showcasing their work to key professionals in the maritime sector and gaining valuable recognition. Through this challenge, we aim to inspire the next generation of simulation professionals to shape the future of maritime operations.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Problem Description<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This year\u2019s Simulation Challenge focuses on maritime logistics under climate\u2011induced disruptions, centered on a liner shipping network that spans multiple ports, circular service routes, finite\u2011capacity vessels, and stochastic container demand. Participants will design strategies that enhance operational efficiency and system resilience when facing climate\u2011driven sailing delays, congestion propagation, and uncertain network conditions. The organizers will provide a basic simulation model using discrete-event modeling methods and which is implemented in an open-source DES framework (i.e., o2despy). In order to ensure clarity and accessibility for all participants, a comprehensive document to describe the model structure according to the rigorously defined modeling formalism will also be provided to ensure clarity and accessibility for all participants.

The organizers will supply the data and source code according to the following three aspects of information:<\/p>\n