The Consortium
There are over 40 people working across the UK-MaRes Hub, including the Director, Co-Directors, Co-Investigators, Researchers, Technicians and Professional Service Staff, all passionate about driving forward the research and innovation needed to create meaningful change across the sector. See below to find out more about the people involved.
Filter by
Dr Asefe Forghani
Research Fellow for Leading Co-innovation Methodology & Maritime Decarbonisation
Asefe holds a BSc, MSc, and PhD in Industrial Engineering, with over 10 years of academic and industrial experience in operational research and optimisation. Her expertise lies in data-driven optimisation, simulation, and maritime logistics. She is proficient in modelling and optimisation tools, with extensive hands-on experience in C++, Julia, Python, CPLEX, Gurobi, and AnyLogic.
She is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher contributing to leading co-innovation methodology within the UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub, based at Cranfield University. Her research focuses on designing an energy-aware decision support system that integrates machine learning-based forecasting, mathematical modelling, heuristic optimisation, and simulation to support the decarbonisation of port and vessel operations. Prior to this, she was engaged in a postdoctoral project funded by Innovation Fund Denmark, focusing on the decarbonisation of discharging and loading operations at Roll-on/Roll-off terminals under uncertainty, in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark and Roskilde University.
Professor Ying Xie
Professor of Supply Chain Analytics Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management at Cranfield University
Ying Xie specialises in data analysis, machine learning models, transport decarbonization, and logistics modelling and simulation. Her work supports stakeholders in the maritime sector by accelerating transition towards decarbonisation through upscaling the adoption of clean energy and improving operational efficiency.
She is the Co-I for several related EPSRC funded projects, contributing to the decarbonisation of transport. Her accomplishments include the creation of an AI driven decision making tool, which could improve operational efficiency and resilience at the Port of Felixstowe. She leads the Co-Innovation methodology and impacts group in the EPSRC funded UK National Clean Maritime Hub. She also leads the academic and research activities in the EPSRC CDT in Net Zero Aviation.
