Optimization Challenge
The Optimization Challenge is an undergraduate competition organized by the Sabancı University Industrial Engineering Program, with the 2026 edition sponsored by Datart Lab and Köpüklü. In the first round, the student teams will be asked to solve logistics optimization problems in two rounds. After the remote first round, the finalist groups will be invited to the campus for the final round. The top three groups will earn awards together with the bragging rights as the best undergrad optimizers!
Managing a city-wide network of vending machines requires coordinating a fleet of service vehicles to complete mandatory daily replenishment while avoiding costly downtime. Each vehicle operates from a central depot and follows a feasible initial plan, but real-world disruptions make the problem dynamic.
Mid-day, machine failures are revealed and routes must be updated based on the current positions and progress of vehicles. Failed machines should be served as quickly as possible, with higher penalties for delays at more critical locations, while the original service commitments must still be respected. The goal is to adapt the remaining routes to balance rapid failure response with staying close to the initial plan, under practical routing and timing constraints.
For more details, please download the full problem description here. You need to register to access the problem instances.
