In an expanding world with limited resources and increasing uncertainty, optimisation and uncertainty quantification (O&UQ) is becoming more a necessity rather than an option. Optimisation can turn a problem into a solution but neglecting the impact of uncertainty can lead to unreliable, or unsustainable, design solutions. The common approach based on safety margins to account for uncertainty in design and manufacturing is not adequate to fully capture the growing complexity of engineering systems and provide reliable and optimal solutions. In addition, this approach may eventually lead to oversized, resource-demanding systems. UTOPIAE is a European research and training network looking at cutting edge methods bridging O&UQ applied to aerospace systems. UTOPIAE mission is to develop new approaches to treat uncertainty in complex engineering systems and novel optimisation techniques to efficiently deal with large scale problems, many objectives and uncertainties. Aerospace engineering is taken as a paradigmatic area of research and development concerned with complex systems in which optimality and reliability are of paramount importance. However, these approaches are equally applicable to an ample variety of cases, where complexity and uncertainty play a major role, like e.g. transportation systems, water distribution and environmental remediation. UTOPIAE (funded by the European Commission through the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) runs from 2017 to 2021. The network consists of 15 partners across 6 European countries (including UK) and 1 partner in the USA, collecting mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists from academia, industry, public and private sectors. UTOPIAE is training the future generation of engineers and mathematicians who will be able to tackle the complexity of aerospace systems and provide greener, more affordable and safer transportation solutions. This session aims at presenting and discussing UTOPIAE and its challenges."
