Professor Michal Kočvara's research interests include nonlinear and semidefinite optimization, optimization of elastic structures, and optimization with equilibrium constraints. Before transitioning to academia, he spent several years working in industry, where he developed a strong ability to bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical industrial needs.
In addition to his academic appointment at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Professor Kočvara holds a concurrent position at the University of Birmingham, which he joined in January 2007. Previously, he contributed to research projects at the Universities of Bayreuth and Erlangen in Germany.
His recent research has been supported by prominent initiatives such as Horizon 2020 (ITN) and EPSRC (Bridging-the-Gap) and involves collaboration with multiple academic and industrial partners across Europe. Professor Kočvara is the (co-)author of a monograph and over 50 journal articles that cover diverse aspects of mathematical optimization and the optimization of mechanical structures.
He has developed or co-developed several widely used computer programs for nonlinear optimization and the optimization of elastic structures, which have found applications in both academic and industrial contexts. He has also been a long-term visiting researcher at esteemed institutions, including the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications at the University of Minnesota (2003), the Technical University of Denmark (2007), and the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics at UCLA (2010).