Valentin Bertsch

Prof. Dr. Valentin Bertsch is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Energy Systems and Energy Economics at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He also serves as a Research Affiliate at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Dublin, Ireland.

His educational background includes a doctorate with distinction in Economics from the University of Karlsruhe (TH) in 2007, where he completed his thesis titled "Uncertainty Handling in Multi-Attribute Decision Support for Industrial Risk Management." He earned his degree in Technomathematics from the University of Karlsruhe (TH) and Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France, and received a Higher Education Didactics Certificate from Baden-Württemberg Center for Higher Education Didactics in 2014.

Prof. Bertsch's research focuses on energy systems analysis, energy economics, electricity market design, renewable energy integration, power system planning, demand response, and energy policy. His work bridges technical and economic aspects of energy systems, with particular emphasis on the integration of renewable energy sources, market design for future electricity systems, and the socio-economic aspects of energy transitions. His research employs advanced modeling techniques including stochastic optimization, agent-based modeling, and multi-criteria decision analysis to address complex energy system challenges.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the challenges of integrating renewable energy into electricity markets, the role of demand response and flexibility, energy community models, and the socio-economic aspects of energy transitions. His work spans from technical system analysis to policy-relevant research with practical applications for energy market design and energy transition pathways.

• EEX Group Excellence Award 2023 for outstanding research in electricity market optimization
• Award for good teaching at KIT (2015/2016/2017)
• HECTOR Teaching Award 2013/2014 for excellence in energy education

Prof. Bertsch actively participates in the scientific community as a member of the editorial board of the European Journal of Industrial Engineering and as a reviewer for numerous prestigious journals including Energy Policy, Applied Energy, and European Journal of Operational Research. He serves on the scientific advisory board of the Energy Research Area at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and is a member of the Management Board of the EERA Joint Programme "Energy Systems Integration" with responsibility for energy markets, modeling, policy and regulation.

He leads the Chair of Energy Systems and Energy Economics at RUB, which conducts research on energy system modeling, market design, and policy analysis. The department collaborates with various research groups across Europe through the EERA Joint Programme and maintains strong connections with industry and policy makers to ensure research relevance and impact.