Speaker: Burak Kocuk, Sabancı University

Date and Time: May 11th, 2026, 13:30-16:30

Place: Gebze Technical University, Department of Computer Engineering, Room: 212

Registration required: Registration for Training by Burak Kocuk: Multi-Stage Stochastic Programming

Title: Multi-Stage Stochastic Programming in Action: Strategic Planning for Transition to Next Generation Clean Energy Technologies

Abstract: Multi-stage stochastic programming is a widely-used paradigm to solve optimization problems under sequential uncertainty. This training will involve three main parts: The first part will introduce the basic concepts in multi-stage stochastic programming, modeling techniques and solution methods while the last two parts will involve two specific applications (namely, mobility and campus applications) from clean energy technology transition.

In the mobility application, we propose a multi-stage stochastic program to optimize clean bus fleet transition plans, explicitly considering uncertainties in cost and efficiency improvements for Battery Electric Buses (BEBs) and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses (HFCBs). The model minimizes total expected costs while meeting emission targets, budget constraints, and operational needs. A novel forecasting approach captures correlations between technological advancements, generating realistic future pathways for BEBs and HFCBs. A physics-based model ensures accurate energy consumption estimates for BEBs. Using Istanbul’s bus network as a case study, we solve a 25-year, five-stage stochastic program with 256 scenarios to produce dynamic strategic plans.

In the campus application, we propose a dynamic strategic planning framework that applies multi-stage stochastic programming to guide clean electricity transitions for distributed energy systems. The model jointly addresses technology investment, storage operation, and grid interaction decisions while explicitly incorporating uncertainties in future technology cost trajectories and efficiency improvements. The approach is demonstrated through a case study of Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey), which has committed to achieving carbon-free electricity by 2040. Through the integration of solar photovoltaics, wind power, and lithium-ion batteries, the model links long-term investment planning with operational-level dynamics by incorporating high-resolution demand and meteorological data.

Bio: Burak Kocuk is an associate professor in the Industrial Engineering Program at Sabancı University. He obtained his BS degrees in Industrial Engineering and Mathematics, and MS degree in Industrial Engineering from Boğaziçi University. He obtained his PhD degree of Operations Research from the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. Before joining Sabancı University, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. His current research focuses on mixed-integer nonlinear programming and stochastic optimization problems, from both theoretical and methodological aspects.

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