Han La Poutré

Han La Poutré is a Professor at Delft University of Technology and a Senior Researcher/Manager at CWI's Intelligent and Autonomous Systems group. His research focuses on multi-agent systems, computational intelligence, and optimization techniques for Smart Energy Systems (SES), integrating electrical engineering and economics frameworks.

• M.Sc. in Mathematics (1986, TU Eindhoven)
• Ph.D. in Computer Science (1991, Utrecht University)

His work spans game theory, reinforcement learning, and market mechanism design for energy grid optimization, addressing challenges in congestion management, demand-side bidding, and AI-driven media sector innovation. Recent projects include AI, Media & Democracy Lab and RESCUE (Cyber-Physical Energy Security).

Key trends in his 2020-2025 publications include:

• Hybrid fairness/welfare frameworks for grid congestion
• Double-sided auction mechanisms for heat/power markets
• Deep reinforcement learning in discrete action spaces
• Game-theoretical cybersecurity modeling
• Multi-temporal demand response coordination

Scientific Awards

• 2015: Best paper award at GECCO-2015

He has led NWO-funded projects like Computational Capacity Planning in Electricity Networks and served as Vice President of ERCIM. Current affiliations include ACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems editorial board.