29/05/2026
Eight student teams, four challenging assignments, and one long night at the office. During the 17th edition of the Nacht van Eindhoven, students took on optimization problems, simulation challenges, and consultancy cases at CQM.
(It's hard to capture the atmosphere of this unique night in words alone. At the bottom of this article, you'll find the aftermovie, offering a glimpse of the teams, the challenges, and the energy that filled the office throughout the night.)
The challenge begins
On Thursday, May 21, the 17th edition of the Nacht van Eindhoven took place. Eight student teams from across the Netherlands came to our office to spend an entire night solving complex mathematical challenges.
This year's participants represented Eindhoven (Berg van Abstractie and Achtertuinalgoritme), Nijmegen (Aplart and Better at Programming Contests), Utrecht (Team Copilot, All in constant time, and De nachtploeg), and Maastricht (Simulated a Feeling).
While most of our colleagues left the office around 5:00 p.m. to enjoy a quiet evening, 24 enthusiastic students arrived, each team settling into its own workspace, ready to tackle four demanding assignments.
Before the competition officially began, Arjen welcomed everyone, followed by a delicious dinner at our neighbors, De Velosoof. It was the perfect opportunity to get to know one another and build up some energy for the long night ahead.
A night full of strategy, Optimization, and teamwork
At 8:00 p.m., the competition officially kicked off—and the teams immediately got to work.
One assignment challenged each team to manage its own online supermarket, competing against the others by bidding for potential customers. Just one minute before the deadline, every team believed it had secured its preferred customer base. Then, with only ten seconds remaining, Achtertuinalgoritme submitted a massive bid—with one extra zero at the end.
The unexpected move completely reshuffled the results. Team Copilot suddenly found itself without any customers, while Achtertuinalgoritme unexpectedly became responsible for supplying groceries to half the country. The teams shared plenty of laughs about the situation, with jokes flying between the different office rooms. In the following rounds, the bidding became even more competitive—after all, nobody wanted to end up without customers.
It was remarkable to see how much energy this assignment generated throughout the office.
Another challenge placed the teams in the middle of an election campaign. By running campaigns across different states, they attempted to influence the election outcome in their favor. Throughout the night, everyone gathered several times to review the latest polling results and compare the effectiveness of the different campaign strategies.
Each update only increased the excitement and motivation.
Meanwhile, the teams also tackled Stacking Packages, where they became the managers of a warehouse that received a new list of customer orders every quarter. Their task was to optimize warehouse operations while coping with changing demand.
More than mathematics
The night wasn't just about programming and mathematical models.
The teams' consultancy skills were also put to the test.
They met with Monique and me, acting as municipal officials, to gather information about a busy traffic intersection that needed to be redesigned more efficiently. That proved to be quite a challenge, as the municipality itself had conflicting opinions about the best solution.
Developing a good design was only part of the assignment. At 6:00 a.m., each team had to convince us—this time represented by Daniëlle and me—with a professional presentation explaining and defending its proposed solution.
For us as organizers, it certainly wasn't a quiet night either. Besides answering insightful questions, we welcomed teams stopping by for a chat, grabbing midnight snacks, or simply taking a short break. Every now and then, we also headed outside for a walk through the streets of Eindhoven to get some fresh air before returning to the challenges.
Morning arrives
Before we knew it, it was 8:00 a.m.
Our first colleagues arrived to start a regular workday, while all the students were still there. Every assignment had been submitted, but the excitement of the night was still very much alive—although everyone looked noticeably more tired than they had twelve hours earlier.
We concluded the event with a well-deserved breakfast at PSV Stadium, where the morning sun shone brightly across the stands—a striking contrast to the long night we had just experienced together.
Some participants enthusiastically reflected on the unique experience, while others were clearly struggling to keep their eyes open. But everyone was waiting for the same announcement:
Who had won?
And the winner is...
The battle for second place was incredibly close, but this year's winner was clear:
- Berg van Abstractie (TU/e)
- Simulated a Feeling (Maastricht University)
- Team Copilot (Utrecht University)
Time to catch up on sleep
By around 10:30 a.m., our office looked like any other Friday morning. The students had all headed home—some to teach classes, others straight to bed on the first available train.
I also went home to catch up on some much-needed sleep after this adventure.
And an adventure it certainly was.
I think I speak on behalf of everyone at CQM when I say how much we enjoyed hosting this year's Nacht van Eindhoven.
Every day, CQM works on complex challenges involving Optimization, Data Science, and Industrial Statistics. The Nacht van Eindhoven offers students a glimpse of what that work looks like in practice: analytical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and translating complex problems into smart, practical solutions.
For us, the event was not only a memorable night at work, but also a wonderful opportunity to meet the next generation of mathematical talent.
A big thank you to all participating students—Jan, Dirk, Lars, Indy, Tom, Valeriu, Tijmen, Dinand, Martijn, Wilfried, Manuel, Gust, Koen, Celine, Joris, Casper, Emma, Renske, Jonne, Monica, Lex, Eskil, Merijn, and Mart—for your enthusiasm, creativity, and competitive spirit throughout this edition of the Nacht van Eindhoven.
Nacht van Eindhoven 2026 – Aftermovie
Curious what the night looked like? Watch the aftermovie below and experience the teams, the challenges, and the atmosphere of the Nacht van Eindhoven 2026.
