Abstract
This paper describes a customized risk assessment framework to be applied in military shipbuilding projects. The framework incorporates the Delphi method with visual diagrams, Bayesian Networks (BN) and the expression of expert opinions through linguistic variables. Noisy-OR and Leak Canonical models are used to determine the conditional probabilities of the BN model. The approach can easily be adapted for other shipbuilding construction projects. The visual diagrams that support the Delphi questionnaire favor the comprehensive visualization of the interdependencies between risks, causes, risks and causes, and risks and effects. The applicability of the framework is illustrated through the assessment of risk of two real military shipbuilding projects. This assessment includes a sensitivity analysis that is useful to prioritize mitigation actions. In the two cases studies, the risks with higher probability of occurrence were failures or errors in production, of the contracted, in the requirements, and in planning. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that a set of mitigation actions directed at relatively easily controllable causes would have achieved important reductions in risk probabilities.

Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify patterns of project risk management (PRM) practices' adoption, and provides empirical evidence concerning the importance (and key attributes) of organizational PRM maturity to the use of risk-related practices and project performance. Design/methodology/approach The research involved two phases: interviews with five project managers, and a worldwide survey of project managers that resulted in the analysis of 865 valid questionnaire responses. Cluster analysis was used to classify PRM practices' use, factor analysis to detect the structure of the relationship between the variables measuring PRM practices' use and a multiple regression analysis (with canonical correlation) to further reveal the different degrees to which PRM practices and organizational maturity are associated. Findings The identified patterns of risk practices' adoption indicate that different contexts of organization PRM maturity and project complexity influence practices selection. The PRM practices related with targets (e.g. time-phased budget plan) are the most used, and those related to tools and techniques (e.g. S-curve) are the least used. Additionally, the obtained results confirm that organizational PRM maturity influences risk practices' usage, moderated by project complexity, and organizational PRM maturity influences project performance. Originality/value Empirical methods were used to investigate the relationship between organizational PRM maturity and a large set of PRM practices with project complexity as a moderator. Gaps in the use of PRM practices (i.e. areas where more PRM knowledge and training are needed) were identified. Finally, this work identifies the attributes of organizational maturity with implications in practices' usage and project performance.

Abstract
Metaheuristics are a class of approximate methods designed to solve hard combinatorial optimization problems arising within various different areas. The importance of metaheuristics results from their ability to continue the search beyond a local optimum so that near-optimal or optimal solutions are efficiently found. In order to solve the backhauling problem associated with mixed and simultaneous delivery and pick-ups, this paper presents a hybrid algorithm which is comprised of the two metaheuristics of tabu search and variable neighbourhood descent. The primary challenge associated with backhauling consists of creating routes in which vehicles are not only required to deliver goods, but also to perform pick-ups at customer locations. The problems associated with these two categories of problems, however, have received little attention in the literature to date. A set of examples taken from the literature with Euclidean cost matrices are presented. Finally, some numerical results are illustrated to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Abstract
Ambient Assisted Living environments projects arise as technological responses of the scientific community to problems associated with the population-ageing phenomenon. In theory, these environments should allow de-localization of healthcare services delivery and management to the home, thus containing the economic and social costs associated with old age. The VirtualECare project is one of those environments, enhanced with proactive techniques for a better user experience, focused on elderly chronic patients, through the ability of constant learning and adaption based in user interaction and its contexts. This learning and, consequently, adaption needs, however, unequivocally user identification, especially in multi-user environments. Traditional identification techniques and methodologies are not suitable for these scenario since, usually, require user interaction and wireless identification technique (e.g. RFID, Bluetooth) are very exposed to personification. In order to obtain the expected results we needed a more advanced technology. One possible, appropriate and already fairly developed technique is Facial Recognition. In this paper we present the VirtualECare project approach to Facial Recognition authentication techniques its advantages, disadvantages and possible implementations paths.

Abstract
The global industry is currently facing a growing increase in the competitiveness that forces companies to adopt and develop new strategies and methods of production. Therefore, one of the most relevant challenges in manufacturing engineering is innovatively integrating Product, Process and Factory dimensions and life cycles, in a holistic approach, from design to recycling/disposal and reuse. The challenge faced here is the synchronization and simultaneous generation of all three-domain models by integrating manufacturing engineering knowledge into the early stage of the modelling and planning processes. The next generation of factories has to be modular, scalable, flexible, open, agile and knowledge-based in order to be able to adapt, in real time, to the continuously changing market demands, technology options and regulations. Therefore, integration, flexibility and efficiency requirements and the ability to simulate the production life cycle of a factory play a crucial role in decreasing ramp-up and design times. Furthermore they play a crucial role in improving the performance in the evaluation and reconfiguration of new or existing facilities, in supporting management decisions and providing tools that can guarantee real-time performance monitoring. Therefore, it is necessary to research and implement the underlying models and ideas during the foundation stage of a new conceptual framework, which is designed to be implemented in the next generation of factories. This will be supported by suitable Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and digital infrastructures and should lay down the foundations for future applications in this research area the industrial paradigm of "Factory as a Product". In line with the context presented here, we propose the development of factory templates to address the design and operation practices throughout the entire life cycle of the factory. Different dimensions of the factory templates are presented in this paper; they cover the design and creation of the factory, its remodelling and even the disassembly and recycling stages. This entire study takes into account relevant factors such as costs, quality, time, flexibility, environmental and social issues and energy efficiency. Throughout the article, different kinds of models are presented, which describe and adjust the structure of the analysis, design and development of a factory integration project that helps provide a formal analysis of the system. Furthermore, templates integrating the factory's response to internal and external disturbances will also be developed.

Abstract
Industrial managers are in the expectation that the new generation factories bring more competitiveness to the manufacturing companies through innovative approaches, methods and tools that support the factory planning process. The concept of "factory as a product" perceives the factory as a complex long life product introducing design advantages for factory planning and optimization, seeking to improve quality, reduce ramp-up, product delivery and overall reduce time and costs. In order to attain these objectives, there is an urgent need for an innovative and suitable Virtual Factory Framework to structure the development of new generation factories. © 2010 IFAC.