Maria Trifonova

Maria Trifonova is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics, Sofia University 'St. Kliment Ohridski'. She has been a member of the Department of Economics and Management by Industry since March 2019 and serves as Director of the Master's Program 'Energy Markets and Services'. As founder and Deputy Director of the Net-Zero Lab, she contributes to energy transition research and policy analysis.

• PhD in Economics (2013–2018)
• Graduated in Economics from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

Research Focus:

• Systemic integration of renewable energy sources and business models
• EU regulatory frameworks and decarbonization pathways
• Energy transitions and institutional analysis
• Sustainable management of energy systems

Project Leadership: She coordinates Bulgarian participation in EU-funded initiatives including Horizon Europe (JustWind4All), Horizon2020 (Simple and Smart Energy Communities), and LIFE program (Power-E-Com). Additional projects involve national energy planning and industrial decarbonization training.

Professional Affiliations:

• European Energy Research Alliance (EERA)
• World Energy Council
• European Technology and Innovation Platform (ETIP) Wind
• Energy Transition Commission of Bulgaria's Council of Ministers