Manuel Chica Serrano

Manuel Chica Serrano

Ramon y Cajal Senior Researcher

University of Granada

Biography

Manuel Chica is Ramon y Cajal Senior Researcher (RYC-2016-19800), granted by the Spanish Government, at the University of Granada (Computer Science and AI Deparment). He is also Chief AI Officer at ZIO Analytics and Conjoint Lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

His current research interests include agent-based modeling, evolutionary game theory, single and multi-objective evolutionary optimization, data science, and complex systems. His research is mainly applied and has been applied to a diverse range of fields: from industrial engineering and marketing, to healthcare systems and climate change.

Interests

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Social Simulation
  • Optimization
  • Data Science

Education

  • PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science (cum laude), 2011

    University of Granada

  • Master in Soft Computing and Intelligent Systems, 2009

    University of Granada

  • MEng in Computer Science, 2006

    University of Jaen

  • BSc in Computing Engineering (Management), 2004

    University of Jaen

Publications

86

JCR-indexed papers

37

Q1 ranked papers

28

Citations

More than 1k (h-index = 18)

R&D projects

18

Patents

2

Academic Positions

 
 
 
 
 

Ramon y Cajal Senior Researcher

University of Granada

Jun 2018 – Present Granada, Spain
Researcher at the Computer Science and AI Department. Research, R&D project, and teaching
 
 
 
 
 

Conjoint Lecturer

University of Newcastle, Australia

Aug 2017 – Present Callaghan, Australia
Supervision of Master and PhD students, research collaboration, and teaching support
 
 
 
 
 

Senior Researcher

Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3)

Jun 2016 – Feb 2017 Barcelona, Spain
Scientific research using optimization algorithms and metaheuristics, complex systems, and projects’ writing.
 
 
 
 
 

Visiting Researcher

Wroclaw University of Technology

Sep 2015 – Jan 2016 Wroclaw, Poland
Collaborative work with other members of the EU ENGINE project (social network analysis, simulation, diffusion of innovations)
 
 
 
 
 

Visiting Scholar

R.H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

Aug 2014 – Dec 2014 College Park, Maryland, US
Research stay, working at the Marketing Department and Center for Complexity in Business
 
 
 
 
 

Visiting Researcher

University of Auckland

Sep 2012 – Dec 2012 Auckland, New Zealand
Basic research about metaheuristics, radiation therapy optimization, mathematical programming
 
 
 
 
 

Research Assistant

University of Jaen

Aug 2005 – Jun 2006 Jaen
Research on data mining and pre-processing techniques. Develop of feature selection algorithms for the Keel project (a Java open-source data mining software).

Experience in Industry

 
 
 
 
 

Chief AI Officer

ZIO Analytics

Apr 2017 – Present Madrid, Spain
Partner, scientific and technological direction, projects’ support.
 
 
 
 
 

Deputy Principal Researcher

European Centre for Soft Computing

Feb 2012 – May 2016 Asturias, Spain
R&D projects management. Leading actions on agent-based modelling, system dynamics and artificial economics for brand management and marketing . Applied research on multicriteria decision making. Unit management and preparation of FP7 proposals.
 
 
 
 
 

R&D Engineer

Inspiralia

Jul 2008 – Jan 2012 Madrid, Spain
Delivery of FP7 projects related with intelligent systems, image analysis, pattern recognition, data mining and and software development. Technical management of the projects.
 
 
 
 
 

Research Assistant

European Centre for Soft Computing

Jun 2007 – Jun 2008 Asturias, Spain
R&D projects about metaheuristics, optimization and production.
 
 
 
 
 

Internship

Apple Computer

Mar 2007 – May 2007 Cork, Ireland
Testing of software and hardware devices on Windows over a Mac architecture.

Recent Posts

Science Daily covers our JMR paper

New technique could boost online word-of-mouth marketing: Researchers have developed a technique for creating complex predictive tools that can be used to make effective decisions about word-of-mouth marketing for online products and services, Science Daily informed here.
Last updated on May 25, 2020 1 min read

Eposbed on Euronews, rTVE and EU-Bulletin

After two years’ work on an EU-funded project, a Spanish-based company has come up with a new prototype of a bed that could make life more comfortable for both patients and nurses, Euronews published:
Last updated on May 25, 2020 1 min read

Massive media coverage about our study on 11M attacks in Madrid

The results of our paper, recently published in the Knowledge-based Systems journal, have appeared in many Spanish newspapers: La Vanguardia Eldiario.es El Economista IDEAL Noticias de Guipuzkoa Canal UGR Government, politicians, and mass media generated a large quantity of information after the bombing attacks in Madrid on the 11th of March 2004.
Last updated on May 25, 2020 1 min read

New publications in California Management Review

Authors from US, the Netherlands, and Spain have published a practical guide for the adoption of AI technologies in Marketing, following the data science standard CRISP-DM. The paper was published in California Management Review (CMR) in July 2019, one of the most relevant publications in management (impact factor of 5.
Last updated on May 25, 2020 1 min read

Nature Scientific Reports publishes our study on trust for the sharing economy

We present an evolutionary trust game, taking punishment and protection into consideration, to investigate the formation of trust in the so-called sharing economy from a population perspective. Our results show that each player type influences the existence and survival of other types of players, and untrustworthy players do not necessarily dominate the population even when the temptation to defect (i.
Last updated on May 25, 2020 1 min read

Awards and Grants

Gledden Senior Visiting Scholar

IAS - University of Western Australia Jan 2021 – Apr 2021

Jose Castillejo Research Grant

Spanish Ministry of Education Apr 2020 – Jun 2020

Ramon y Cajal Fellowship (2016 call)

Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Jun 2018 – May 2023

Endeavour Research Fellowship

Australian Government Sep 2016 – Feb 2017

Best PhD in Engineering and Architecture

University of Granada Oct 2011

Best Master degree curriculum (course 2001-2006)

University of Jaen Mar 2007

Featured Projects

PhD Thesis

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and Genetic Algorithms to solve the Time and Space Assembly Line Balancing Problem (TSALBP).

Zio

A cutting-edge Web application for marketing using agent-based modeling and AI

Toxdtect

The aim of FP7 TOXDTECT project is to develop an intelligent packaging solution for fresh bovine meat products. The technology is based on the identification of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced inside the packaging during microorganisms’ growth. The signal coming from the interaction between VOCs and polymer inks is recorded by an external device where data are processed. A predictive software based on data mining correlates the sensors signal with the remaining shelf-life of meat (i.e., number of days during which meat is still safe to be consumed).

Forfire

Identimod

A decision support system based on computational intelligence and system dynamics for branding and marketing

Apifresh

A European project funded by the European Commission 7th Framework Program. The objective of the Apifresh project is to provide European beekeepers with the scientific and technological aids necessary to improve the quality of European pollen and royal jelly and also to promote the regulatory means that will allow European bee products compete under fair conditions against lower quality or adulterated products.

Eposbed

This FP7 for SMEs project was developed in Inspiralia to create a medical device which automatically recognizes patient’s intentions. Manuel led the intelligent system based on neural networks to identify the patient’s movements

Recent Publications

Quickly discover relevant content by filtering publications.
Ignacio Moya, Enrique Bermejo, Manuel Chica, Oscar Cordon
January 2021 Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence

Coral reefs optimization algorithms for agent-based model calibration

_volume XX YY _ Impact factor: 4.201. Journal rank: Q1, 13/91 (Engineering, Multidisciplinary)

Manuel Chica, Juan Hernandez, Casiano Manrique de Lara Peñate, Raymond Chiong
January 2021 IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine

An Evolutionary Game Model for Understanding Fraud in Consumption Taxes

_volume XX YY _ Impact factor: 9.083. Journal rank: Q1, 9/137 (Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence)

PDF
Hung Khanh Nguyen, Raymond Chiong, Manuel Chica, Richard H Middleton
October 2020 SIMULATION: Transactions of the Society for Modeling and Simulation International

Understanding the dynamics of inter-provincial migration in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: An agent-based modeling study

volume 22 (3) 1 Impact factor: 1.090. Journal rank: Q4, 82/108 (Computer Science, Software Engineering)

PDF
Zikai Zhang, Tang Qiuhua, Manuel Chica
October 2020 Computers & Industrial Engineering

Multi-manned assembly line balancing with time and space constraints: A MILP model and memetic ant colony system

volume 150 106862 Impact factor: 4.135. Journal rank: Q1, 18/109 (Computer Science - Intelligent Applications)

PDF
Manuel Chica, Angel Juan, Christopher Bayliss, Oscar Cordon, David Kelton
October 2020 SORT

Why simheuristics? Benefits, limitations, and best practices when combining metaheuristics with simulation

volume 44 (2) 1-35 Impact factor: 0.778. Journal rank: Q3, 84/124 (Stats & Probability)

PDF
See all publications

Current tasks & skills

Modeling and scientific writing

40%

Project management

30%

Analytics and UX design

20%

Programming

10%

Contact

  • Periodista Fernando Gomez de la Cruz, no. 61, Granada, 18014
  • Second floor, Office 1 (ZIO)
  • Skype Me
  • Email me