UM scholar wins best paper award from INFORMS

Zhang Hongcai, associate professor in the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City at the University of Macau, won the 2025 ENRE Best Publication Award in Natural Resources at the Annual Meeting of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), in recognition of his innovative and influential research contributions. Presented annually to only one paper, the INFORMS ENRE Best Publication Award in Natural Resources is regarded as one of the most prestigious international honours in the field. Since its establishment in 2010, this is the first time a scholar from a Chinese academic institution has received the award.

Prof Zhang has long been committed to interdisciplinary research on intelligent energy systems and sustainable transport. This recognition not only affirms his dedication, but also highlights UM’s achievements in innovation and excellence in green energy and clean transport research.

The award-winning paper, titled From Curtailed Renewable Energy to Green Hydrogen: Infrastructure Planning for Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles, was co-authored by He Long, associate professor at George Washington University, who served as the first author, with Prof Zhang and Qi Wei, associate professor at Tsinghua University, as corresponding authors. The study proposes a novel co-planning model that integrates renewable hydrogen production with transport energy systems, providing cutting-edge theoretical insights and decision tools to promote deep integration and low-carbon synergy between hydrogen mobility and energy systems. The paper was published in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, a top-tier journal in operations research and management sciences.

INFORMS is the world’s largest and most influential professional association in the fields of operations research and management sciences. Its Annual Meeting is among the most significant academic events in these disciplines, attracting over ten thousand experts and scholars from academia, industry, and government worldwide each year.