Professor Afshin Mansouri
Professor - Operations and Supply Chain Management’
- Business Analytics and Marketing
- Brunel Business School
Research area(s)
My current research is focused on two strands that are inspired by the trend of global challenges regarding humanitarian operations, and sustainable operations. In the first strand, I look for ways to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and fairness of humanitarian operations at different phases of disaster management cycle from preparedness to response, recovery, and mitigation. In the second strand, I analyze trade-offs between the environmental. economic, and social sustainability dimensions at firm and supply chain levels in manufacturing, service, and maritime sectors. For these, I primarily employ analytical methodologies from the Operations Research and Management Science, Decision Science, Intelligent Search, Data Analytics, Data-driven Decision Making, and Game Theory. I am also familiar with Empirical Research methodologies including Quantitative and Qualitative techniques and have used them in a number of research projects.
Research group(s)
Research Interests
- Sustainable operations management
- Humanitarian operations and disaster management
- Green scheduling
- Data-driven decision making
- Business analytics
Research grants and projects
Research Projects
Grants
Funder: Horizon Europe
Duration: November 2025 - October 2029
PORTAL is pioneering an innovative, threat-agnostic framework to preempt cascading losses and establish resilience benchmarks with fit-for-purpose adaptation measures to proactively mitigate negative impacts on Port Infrastructure and interdependent Socio-eCOlogical systems (PISCO). PORTAL’s vision is important as ports handle 75% of the EU's trade, and face rising climate challenges, with $7.5 billion in global annual losses due to multi-hazard risks. In doing so, we deliver more resilient, inclusive and environmentally friendly PISCO. We do this through innovation, as we will deliver an interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder inclusive, and scalable approach to optimise PISCO’s resilience and sustainability, with emphasis on people’s needs and environmental benefits. PORTAL integrates cutting-edge technologies such as digital twins and generative AI (GenAI) to enhance sustainable adaptation strategies. This is achieved through tailored designs of win-win solutions, e.g Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), in inclusive and gamified PISCO. To achieve this vision, PORTAL includes a comprehensive training and capacity building programme embedded within its research, innovation, and dissemination activities. PORTAL leverages interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral secondments to enhance the skills of researchers and professionals through knowledge transfer. We facilitate decision-making to incentivise resilience strategies of PISCO operators, foster a safer environment and advance career development of participants, in line with EU policy goals for digital and green transition. PORTAL outputs include an advanced communication platform empowered by predictive tools, immersive training environments using augmented and virtual reality, and a library of actionable adaptation measures. These tools will empower diverse stakeholders identified through the empirical analysis of Socio-Ecological System (SES) to collaboratively improve environmental sustainability and strengthen resilience.
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: April 2025 - September 2025
ProGYS+ is an EPSRC-funded Impact Accelerator Project focusing on ‘Engagement’. Building on the successful outcomes of the Impact Accelerator project for ‘Readiness’, ProGYS, and the H2020 project, PortForward, ProGYS+ aims to engage with representatives from the two customer groups of The Green Yard Scheduler (GYS). These include TERMAVI the operator of the Vigo’s container terminal and the provider of their Terminal Operating System (TOS), in coordination with the Port Authority of Vigo. This overarching aim will be achieved by adjusting and piloting the GYS and its integration with Vigo’s TOS for implementation by TERMAVI. Effective implementation of the GYS at the Port of Vigo will provide strong evidence for engagement and negotiations with the TOS provider regarding a licensing agreement. Furthermore, the positive piloting results at Vigo will support negotiations with other ports using the same TOS to adapt it as an add-on, even if they do not desire integration.
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: August 2023 - March 2025
Funder: BAM-ANZAM Collaborative Research Award Scheme 2019
Duration: September 2019 - December 2020
Funder: British Academy of Management
Duration: September 2019 - December 2020
Funder: European Commission
Duration: July 2018 - December 2021
Funder: European Commission
Duration: October 2016 - March 2020
Funder: EU Horizon 2020
Duration: August 2015 - May 2017
Funder: European Commission
Duration: September 2013 - August 2017
Funder: ESRC
Duration: August 2010 - September 2011
Funder: Brunel Research Initiative and Enterprise Fund (BRIEF)
Duration: November 2008 - October 2009
Research links
Similar research interests
- Professor Ashley Braganza
- Dr Abrahim Althonayan
- Dr Federico Castagna
- Dr Kok Siew Ng
- Dr Wafi Al-Karaghouli
Research group(s)
- IEF