Mario Liebensteiner

Mario Liebensteiner is a Junior Professor (tenure track W3) for Economics with a focus on Energy Markets and Energy System Analysis at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). He is affiliated with the Department of Business, Economics, and Social Sciences (FAU WiSo) and contributes to the interdisciplinary research focus on Energy Markets and Energy System Analysis. Liebensteiner is also a member of the expert panel Energy Systems of the Future (ESYS) of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities, providing expertise on energy transition and market design.

Liebensteiner completed his doctorate in economics at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna) and earned his diploma in economics from Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU Linz) and City University of Hong Kong. Prior to his current position, he worked as a postdoctoral and pre-doctoral researcher at Technical University of Kaiserslautern and Vienna University of Economics and Business.

His research focuses on the economic analysis of energy markets, environmental policy, and the transition to sustainable energy systems. Liebensteiner examines the interplay between renewable energy integration, carbon pricing mechanisms, electricity market design, and the challenges of sector coupling in the energy transition. His work investigates how market structures and policy instruments affect investment decisions, system flexibility, and emissions reduction in the power sector, with particular emphasis on the German energy context. He employs both theoretical modeling and empirical analysis to address these complex energy economics questions.

Analysis of Liebensteiner's recent publications reveals a strong focus on the economic dimensions of the energy transition, particularly examining the interactions between renewable energy integration, carbon pricing, and electricity market design. His work increasingly addresses the challenges of sector coupling, flexibility needs in power systems, and the socio-economic impacts of energy policies. A notable trend is his examination of both theoretical market mechanisms and their practical implementation in the German context, with growing attention to cross-border electricity trade effects and the integration of hydrogen technologies in future energy systems.

• Member of the expert panel Energy Systems of the Future (ESYS) of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities
• Research published in leading energy economics journals including Energy Economics, Applied Energy, and Energy Policy

Liebensteiner collaborates with researchers across disciplines through the Energy Campus Nuremberg (EnCN) and participates in strategic partnerships with energy sector companies organized in the Nuremberg Energy Region (Energieregion Nürnberg eV). His research is connected to the DFG Collaborative Research Center on gas networks and markets, suggesting involvement in significant research funding. While specific grants aren't detailed in the provided information, his publication record in high-impact journals indicates successful research funding acquisition.

Liebensteiner is part of the Energy Markets and Energy Systems research group at FAU WiSo, which collaborates closely with engineers at the Energy Campus Nuremberg (EnCN). This interdisciplinary team works on the transformation of electricity and gas sectors, sustainable mobility concepts, sector coupling issues, and business models for decentralized smart energy systems. The research group maintains strategic partnerships with numerous energy sector companies through the Nuremberg Energy Region, aiming to implement secure, cost-effective, climate-friendly, and sustainable energy solutions.