"A two-level optimisation-Simulation method for Production Planning and Scheduling: the industrial case of a Human-robot Collaborative Assembly line", co-authored by Professors Tânia Pinto Varela and Ana Póvoa, won the "Augusto Queiroz Novais Award - Process System Engineering "by APDIO during the annual congress of Operational Research (IO2024). IO2024 was held at the School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, in March 2024.

The AQN -PSE award aims to distinguish the scientific article with the highest impact in Process System Engineering. The awarded work proposes a new optimization and simulation methodology based on the 'Recursive Optimization-Simulation Approach (ROSA)', which is beneficial for decision-making regarding integrated production planning and scheduling.