Introduction to the special issue 16th International Workshop on Optimization and Inverse Problems in Electromagnetism

This volume contains selected papers from the 16th OIPE Workshop, which was held in Szczecin, Poland, from September 6 to 8, 2021.

The OIPE series (International Workshop on Optimization and Inverse Problems in Electromagnetism) was established in 1989 (Pavia, Italy) on the basis of the strategic importance of optimization and inverse problems in electromagnetic research. Among the guidelines of the OIPE philosophy a prominent role is given to the interdisciplinary. Researchers working in optimization and inverse problems in electromagnetism need quite complex and innovative mathematical tools. Therefore, the people who first established the OIPE workshops aimed for a deep, stable and interdisciplinary cooperation with other scientific communities. This initiative was continued and further developed through a series of biennial events held in Warsaw, Poland (1992), Geneva, Switzerland (1994), Brno, Czech Republic (1996), Jyvaskyla, Finland (1998), Torino, Italy (2000), Lodz, Poland (2002), Grenoble, France (2004), Sorrento, Italy (2006), Ilmenau, Germany (2008), Sofia, Bulgaria (2010), Ghent, Belgium (2012), Delft, Netherlands (2014), Rome, Italy (2016), Innsbruck, Austria (2018), until the most recent held in Szczecin, Poland (2021). Over the last almost 30 years, the International Workshops on Optimization and Inverse Problems in Electromagnetism have gained a worldwide reputation.

The 16th edition was organized by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland. About 40 papers were presented at the symposium by participants from 15 countries. Special attention was paid to contributions of young researchers, with the three best contributions receiving the financial award for the best paper presented by a young researcher.

Following the standard peer review process, 10 papers were finally accepted for inclusion in this issue of the International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics (IJAEM). We would like to thank all the authors, session chairs, the members of the OIPE ISC and anonymous reviewers for their contributions to the workshop, and to this special issue. We would also like to thank Dr. Antonello Tamburrino, Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, for his kind support during the whole process of preparation of this special issue. Finally, we hope the readership of this special issue will find the included papers interesting and stimulating.