Edinburgh Napier University

  Addressing “grand challenges” is very much in the history and tradition of Operational Research (O.R.), in the past saving millions of lives and protecting Britain, ultimately helping to liberate Europe. Lane (2010) provides an account of how O.R. has addressed these grand challenges in the past and argued that O.R. holds considerable advantages to deal with strategic issues. This session asks: What “grand challenges” face us today and into the future, in Portsmouth, in the UK and beyond? What contribution can the O.R. community have to address these challenges? The Leader of the City Council for Portsmouth will outline these challenges and examples of the impact of O.R. at the Royal Navy (a major employer in Portsmouth) will be presented by an O.R. Practitioner. The session will move from the challenges outlined to consider the potential customers of O.R. to address them, particularly third sector organisations who could benefit from a Pro Bono project. The Society wants more organisations to benefit from O.R. and recognises that Third Sector organisations have an even greater need to be more efficient. The aim is to help organisations reduce costs and improve utilisation of limited resources. These potential projects will be followed up by the Pro Bono service, providing access to O.R. consultancy at the cost of expenses only and in doing so “give back” an O.R. solution that will make a lasting in impact in the host city of OR58