Optimization in Action: From Pharma to Airports

Supply chains and operations are full of complex decisions: how much to produce, where to allocate resources, how to respond to changing demand, and how to make the best use of limited capacity. Optimization provides a way to approach these challenges systematically and support better decision-making.

But optimization does not always look the same in practice. Different industries face different constraints, use different tools, and solve very different operational problems.

At Optimization in Action: From Pharma to Airports, hosted by IDA Supply Chain, we explore how optimization is applied in two very different operational environments. Through perspectives from Novo Nordisk and Copenhagen Optimization, the event will show how organizations use analytical methods, mathematical models, software, and decision-support tools to improve planning and operations.

The two presentations will be connected by a common question: how can organizations turn complex operational challenges into better decisions?

Rather than focusing on technical theory, the event will look at optimization from a practical perspective. What is the problem to be solved? What decisions need to be made? Which constraints matter? Which tools and methods are appropriate? And ultimately, what value does optimization create?

The event is structured in two parts, each offering a different perspective on optimization in practice.

Presentation 1: Optimization in Planning

Speaker: Astrid Rosendal Madsen, Senior Process Engineer, Novo Nordisk

Astrid specializes in optimization and decision-support methods for complex planning and operational challenges. Her work focuses on operations research and mathematical programming, particularly mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) and heuristic methods to improve how resources, capacity, and supply are planned and utilized. She is particularly interested in how optimization approaches can be transferred across industries and what different sectors can learn from each other. 

In this presentation, Astrid will explore how optimization can support planning in a complex pharmaceutical supply chain. The session will look at how mathematical modelling and optimization tools can be used to support planning decisions involving areas such as production, capacity, inventory, and demand.

Through practical examples, the presentation will illustrate how complex planning challenges can be translated into structured decision problems, how mathematical optimization can support planners in evaluating different options, and how these approaches can contribute to better operational decisions.

The focus will be on understanding what the optimization problem is, how the approach works, and why it creates value, rather than on the mathematical details behind the models.

Presentation 2: Optimization in Operations

Speaker: Tor Fog Justesen, Chief Product Officer, Copenhagen Optimization

Tor works to turn advanced optimization methods into dependable solutions for complex airport operations. His work focuses on bridging the gap between theoretical optimization models and the realities of operational environments, where uncertainty, changing information, and practical constraints all influence decision-making.

In this presentation, Tor will explore what happens when theoretical models meet real-world conditions. The session will look at how optimization can support operational planning in airports, and how solutions need to account for uncertainty, evolving information, and operational constraints in order to remain useful and reliable in practice.

Tor will also discuss how AI and trusted autonomous agents may reshape operational planning in the future, with users increasingly supervising decisions rather than making every decision themselves. The presentation will highlight the importance of robust foundations and extensible product ecosystems in ensuring that increasingly automated plans remain dependable and adaptable in complex operational environments.

The focus will be on understanding how optimization moves from theory into practice, what is required to make it reliable in real-world operations, and how emerging technologies may change the way operational decisions are made.

Agenda

• 18:00: Welcome
• 18:05: Optimization in Planning – Novo Nordisk
• 18:50: Break & Networking (sandwich and beverages)
• 19:10: Optimization in Operations – Copenhagen Optimization
• 19:55: Wrap-up
• 20:00: End of program

Practical information

The event will be held in English.

If you are unable to attend, please remember to cancel your registration before the cancellation deadline. A "no show" fee of 200 DKK (300 DKK for non-members) will be charged if you do not cancel, or if you cancel after the cancellation deadline.

Sign up - Not a member of IDA? To register, you need to create a user profile.

Note: when creating a user profile, you will be able to access IDA's online services - you will not become a member of IDA.

Important information regarding personal data on participant lists

Your name, title and company name will appear on the participant list for this event if you have previously given consent or have given consent in connection with registration to this event. The participant list is available to the organizer and the other participants at the event itself in the form of a participant list. At some events, a name tag is also given out, where your name, title and company name appear. If you unsubscribe from the event, your information will no longer appear on the participant list. You can read more about consent here.