Preface to the Special Issue on Metaheuristics: Recent Advances and Applications

We are pleased to present this special issue of International Transactions in Operational Research, which showcases the latest advancements in metaheuristics, as presented at the Metaheuristics International Conference (MIC 2022). This conference was held in the beautiful city of Syracuse, in Sicily, Italy, on July 11–14, 2022. The collection of papers in this issue reflects the breadth and depth of current research efforts, demonstrating both algorithmic innovation and practical applications.

This volume consists of ten papers, some of which were presented at the conference and some that were not. Together, they represent a significant contribution to the field of metaheuristics and operational research.

The papers cover a wide range of topics, including advances in quantum-inspired optimization, hybrid approaches for healthcare logistics, and bi-objective job shop scheduling with energy constraints. Other contributions focus on enhancing local search algorithms within the MOEA/D framework, applying adaptive iterated local search to location problems, and addressing the multi-objective traveling salesman–repairman problem with profits.

Further contributions explore iterated greedy algorithms for the obnoxious p-median problem, comparing QUBO models for quantum annealing, variable neighborhood search methodologies for the median location problem, and metaheuristics for flexible flow-shop scheduling with s-batching machines.

This special issue represents a significant contribution to the field of metaheuristics and operational research. We hope that the insights and innovations presented herein will inspire further research and development, driving advancements in both theory and practice.

We extend our gratitude to the authors for their outstanding contributions and to the reviewers for their meticulous evaluations. Together, they have ensured the high quality of this special issue.