The field of the mathematical and numerical analysis of systems of nonlinear pdes involving interfaces and free boundaries is a burgeoning area of research. Many such systems arise from mathematical models in ma- terial science and fluid dynamics such as phase separation in alloys, crystal growth, dynamics of multiphase fluids and epitaxial growth. In applications of these mathematical models, suitable performance indices and appropriate control actions have to be specified. Mathematically this leads to optimiza- tion problems with pde constraints including free boundaries. It is now timely to consider such control problems because of the maturity of the field of com- putational free boundary problems. The aim of the mini-workshop was to bring together leading experts and young researchers from the separate fields of numerical free boundary problems and optimal control in order to estab- lish links and to identify suitable model problems to serve as paradigms for progressing knowledge of optimal control of free boundaries.