Gilbert Fridgen is Full Professor in Digital Financial Services and holder of the PayPal-FNR PEARL Chair at the University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT). He leads the FINATRAX research group focusing on blockchain, digital identity, and sustainable digital solutions. His research explores decentralized technologies in finance, energy systems, and public administration. Current projects investigate blockchain applications in industrial demand response, NFT markets, EU digital identity wallets, and DeFi institutional adoption. Prof. Fridgen examines the intersection of technology with regulatory frameworks and user behavior in energy and financial systems. He collaborates extensively with industry partners including PayPal and Spuerkeess. Prof. Fridgen actively contributes to EU digital policy discussions, particularly regarding the European Digital Identity Wallet framework and decentralized finance governance.
Sebastian Pfotenhauer is a Carl von Linde Professor for Innovation Research at Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Deputy Head of the STS Department. He specializes in the societal dimensions of innovation, including governance of emerging technologies, regional innovation cultures, and responsible innovation practices. His work bridges academic research and policy, with leadership roles in major initiatives like the €50M Munich Cluster for the Future of Mobility (MCube) and the EU-funded SCALINGS project on co-creation in innovation. He holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Jena and postdoctoral training at MIT and Harvard. Research interests include innovation policy, science governance, and the interplay between technology and societal change. Notable projects include comparative studies of innovation cultures, governance frameworks for AI and neurotechnology, and global partnerships in science and innovation. He advises governments and international bodies like the OECD and the German Engineers’ Association (VDI). Publications span journals like Research Policy , Social Studies of Science , and Nature Biotechnology , addressing topics from regulatory sandboxes to neurotechnology ethics. Awards include the Leading Technology Policy Fellowship (MIT) and NSF grants for studying complex international partnerships.
Dr. Saqib Khursheed is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at the University of Liverpool, UK. He holds a PhD in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Southampton (2010), where he later worked as a Senior Research Fellow on EPSRC-funded projects. His research focuses on reliability, testability, and hardware security of low-power/high-performance systems and 3D integrated circuits. He has served in leadership roles at major conferences such as IEEE DFT (General Co-Chair 2018) and ETS (Program Co-Chair 2017). Dr. Khursheed is a Senior Member of IEEE and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His professional activities include roles as Guest Editor for IEEE Design & Test (2016) and IET Computers & Digital Techniques (2018). He currently chairs the Examinations Officer committee in his department and serves on multiple university-level committees (Senate Progress, Quality Assurance). He has organized workshops like the Friday Workshop on 3D Integration (2012-2015) and reviews for top-tier journals/conferences in his field. Dr. Khursheed’s funded projects include the eFutures Sandpit Award (2018) for secure microelectronics design. His teaching responsibilities include coordinating modules like Advanced Low Power Computer Architecture (ELEC470) and Digital Electronics & Microprocessor Systems (ELEC211). His research has led to innovations in hardware security (e.g., PCB Trojan detection via machine learning), age estimation of ICs, and fault tolerance in 3D ICs.
Professor Gregor Verbic is a faculty member at the University of Sydney in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering , where he serves as Director of the Centre for Future Energy Networks . Previously, he held an assistant professor position at the University of Ljubljana and was a NATO-NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Waterloo. His career spans academic research, industry leadership as Head of Interenergo's Investment Department, and extensive collaboration with IEEE. PhD in Electrical Engineering (University of Ljubljana) Senior IEEE Member Research Interests focus on transforming power systems to zero-carbon grids through: Aggregation and control of distributed energy resources (DERs) Frequency control with wind generation and electric vehicles Stochastic optimization for multi-energy systems Smart home energy management with phase change materials Notable Contributions include: 2006 IEEE prize paper for voltage instability prediction 2010-2024: 15 recent publications on DER coordination, network tariffs, and low-inertia grid stability Teaching includes courses on: ELEC3203/ELEC9203: Electricity Networks ELEC5213: Engineering Optimisation ELEC5206: Sustainable Energy Systems Labs & Initiatives Centre for Future Energy Networks The Net Zero Institute
Dermot J Hayes is the Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences and holds the Pioneer Hi-Bred International Chair in Agribusiness at Iowa State University's Department of Economics and Ivy School of Business. His expertise spans agricultural economics, financial economics, and international trade policy with a focus on commodity markets, farm policy, and China's agricultural impacts. Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of California, Berkeley (1986 and 1982). Research Interests: Includes U.S. farm policy, international trade dynamics, agribusiness strategies, crop insurance, financial derivatives, and China's role in global commodity markets. His work emphasizes policy analysis, market resilience, and emerging challenges like disease outbreaks (e.g., African Swine Fever). Awards: AAEA Fellow (2007), AAEA Enduring Quality Award (2006), and J.H. Ellis Teaching Award (2005). His research on food safety auctions remains influential. Consulting: Since 1995, he has advised the National Pork Producers Association on trade economics. His work informs policy debates on tariffs, trade deals, and market disruptions. Labs & Collaborations: Engaged with Iowa State's interdisciplinary initiatives on agriculture-environmental nexus and bioenergy systems.
Hamza Salih Erden is an Associate Professor (Docent) at the Informatics Institute of Istanbul Technical University in Turkey. His research focuses on energy optimization in data centers, thermal management systems, and computational fluid dynamics applications. With over 34 research outputs and an h-index of 12, he leads projects in energy-grid integration and carbon-aware load management. Research Focus Dr. Erden's work centers on improving energy efficiency in technological infrastructure through: Advanced cooling techniques for data centers Integration of thermal energy storage systems Computational fluid dynamics modeling Demand-response optimization for smart grids AI-driven monitoring of energy systems Publication Trends Recent works (2022-2025) demonstrate strong focus on sustainable energy technologies, particularly optimization of data center operations through thermal management innovations, integration of renewable energy solutions, and AI applications for system monitoring. Economic assessments of energy-saving techniques feature prominently. Awards and Recognition Technical Paper Award (2016) Multiple International Scientific Publication Incentive Awards (2017-2021) Poster Award (2012) Graduate Student Grant (2007) Projects and Funding Leads multiple energy research projects including: Carbon-aware load management in data centers (2025) Grid-integrated energy system modeling for data centers (2021-2023) CFD analysis of CRAH bypass methods (2018-2020) Economizer applications in Turkish data centers (2016-2017)
Dr. Charles Rougé is a Senior Lecturer in Water Resilience at the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Sheffield. He holds an MSc and PhD, and his career spans top institutions in France, the US, Canada, and the UK. 2018–present: University of Sheffield (Lecturer → Senior Lecturer) 2023–2026: Principal Investigator, EPSRC-funded project on water-energy systems under climate change and energy transition Research Focus: Modelling complex water resource systems to enhance resilience against climate change, with a growing emphasis on water-energy nexus challenges. His work integrates hydrology, power systems engineering, economics, and decision theory. Key Trends: 15 most recent articles span climate-perturbed hydrological models, water-energy system coupling, socio-hydrology applications, and transboundary water governance. Many showcase interdisciplinary approaches to water infrastructure flexibility and uncertainty quantification. Scientific Awards: 2019 Quentin Martin Best Practice Award (JWRPM) 2015 Editor's Citation for Excellence (WRR) Grants: EPSRC grant (UKRI) for 'Flexible design and operation of water resource systems' (2023–2026) Team Leadership: Leads the 'Water resilience' research group at Sheffield, mentoring early-career researchers in water system sustainability and low-carbon energy transition.
Michel Leseure serves as a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering within the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Portsmouth, where he is affiliated with the Centre for Operational Research and Logistics and Centre of Operational Research and Decision Analysis. As an active PhD Supervisor accepting new doctoral candidates, he contributes to both academic instruction and research supervision in technology-focused programs. His research centers on evolutionary analysis of technical systems, notably applying cladistics (a biological classification method) to manufacturing systems. Additional expertise spans engineering economy, real options theory, and scenario analysis, with recent expansion into sustainable operations management, microgrid optimization, and renewable energy integration. His work bridges industrial engineering with environmental sustainability through lean methodologies and strategic decision frameworks. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in collaborative microgrid systems, where he pioneers approaches to mitigate renewable energy volatility using lean-heijunka strategies and precontracted order mechanisms. His research consistently addresses supply chain resilience, policy impacts on manufacturing investment, and sustainability-performance trade-offs across energy and industrial sectors. Leseure actively mentors doctoral researchers through the Centre for Operational Research and Logistics, focusing on operational decision-making in energy systems and sustainable manufacturing. His collaborative projects frequently involve international researchers, particularly with H. Feleafel and J. Radulovic, examining microgrid economics and supply chain adaptability under turbulent conditions.
Norwegian University of Science And TechnologyNorway
Hossein Farahmand is a Professor at the Department of Electric Energy, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and leads the Electricity Markets and Energy Systems Planning (EMESP) research group. He holds an Associate Editor role at IEEE Transactions on Energy Markets, Policy and Regulation and contributes to international initiatives like IEA Wind Task 25 and ISGAN Annex 9. Education : Dr.ing. (PhD) from NTNU (2012) His research focuses on power market analysis, hydropower scheduling, power system balancing, and local flexibility markets in smart grids. Recent work explores renewable energy integration, digitalization, and hydrogen systems. Trends include machine learning applications in hydropower scheduling, offshore wind economics, and grid flexibility solutions. Scientific awards include Senior Member of IEEE and representation in ISGAN Annex 9 and IEA Wind Task 25 . He supervises PhD candidates and co-supervised projects in areas like grid tariffs , local energy communities , and electric vehicle integration . Grants include EU Horizon 2020 and Research Council of Norway funding for projects such as IntHydro , HONOR , and Ocean Grid . Labs and teams include the EMESP research group at NTNU, collaborations with Hohai University , Smart Innovation Norway , and industry partners in China and Norway.
Assoc. Prof. Savaş DURMUŞ is affiliated with Kafkas University , where he has held the position of Associate Professor in the Department of International Trade and Logistics since 2021. He previously served as a Department Head (2019–present) and Deputy Institute Director (2012–2015). His academic journey includes a PhD in Economics (2007–2011) and MSc in Business Administration (2001–2004) from Turkish institutions. Education : PhD, Economics, Celâl Bayar University (2007–2011) MSc, Business Administration, Selçuk University (2001–2004) BA, Business Administration, Atatürk University (1988–1993) Research Interests focus on Development Economics , Macro Economics , and Business Cycles , with a strong emphasis on empirical analysis of economic policy, international trade, and financial systems. His work spans topics like tourism economics, energy sector performance, and regional development. Scientific Contributions include 15+ peer-reviewed articles (2020–2024) on themes such as financial development, Dutch disease, and Industry 4.0. He has co-authored studies on tourism’s impact on growth and cross-country analyses of economic complexity. Editorial Work includes roles as editor for international books like Banka ve Finansal Sistem (2016) and Analysis of Economics Applications (2023). He has collaborated extensively with academics such as Dilek Şahin (27 joint publications) and Hasan Ayaydın (17 joint publications).
Dr. Vanika Sharma is a Lecturer at UniSA STEM , University of South Australia. Her research focuses on renewable energy systems, battery storage optimization, and smart grid technologies. Renewable Energy Integration Power System Voltage Regulation Energy Cost Minimization Smart Inverter Controls Vanika's work addresses critical challenges in high PV penetration and overvoltage-induced curtailment . She has developed optimization models for battery sizing and tariff analysis, demonstrating economic benefits for households and distribution networks. Her recent studies show how combining reactive power support and smart inverters can eliminate financial losses. In her 2024 IEEE Access paper, she proposed a method to reduce active power curtailment by 47% through coordinated battery and PV inverter control. Earlier works (2017-2020) established foundational insights on feed-in tariff economics and net zero energy homes . Her research has received support from the Australian Government and University of South Australia.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Noémie Jeannin is a doctoral assistant and PhD student at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), affiliated with the Laboratory of Photovoltaics and Thin Films (PV-LAB) within the School of Engineering and the Institute of Microengineering. She is a member of the Energy Doctoral Program (EDOC-EDEY) and serves as the doctoral student representative, contributing to academic governance. Her work is centered on sustainable energy systems, particularly the integration of renewable energy and transportation electrification. Her research focuses on the coupling of photovoltaic (PV) energy production with electric vehicle (EV) charging, using advanced geospatial modeling to quantify energy demand and mobility habits across Europe. She develops methodologies to assess charging flexibility and infrastructure needs, contributing to the European OPENGIS4ET project and the development of the Citiwatts open-source platform for energy transition planning. Her work spans disciplines including energy systems, smart grids, GIS, and sustainable urban mobility. The trends in her publications reveal a strong emphasis on spatial and temporal modeling of energy demand, policy-relevant analysis of electricity tariffs, and innovative solutions for grid integration of distributed energy resources. Her recent articles highlight practical applications in urban energy planning, EV charging behavior, and cost-effective alternatives to grid upgrades. Noémie is actively involved in teaching as an assistant for the course 'Energy Supply Economics and Transition (ENG-410)' and participates in academic service through her representative role. She collaborates with researchers such as A. Pena-Bello, C. Ballif, and N. Wyrsch, and her work is supported by European and institutional research initiatives. She maintains professional profiles on ORCID, Google Scholar, and LinkedIn, and her primary contact is via email at noemie.jeannin@epfl.ch. Her office is located at MC A2 208, EPFL.
Cuo Zhang is a Lecturer of Power Engineering and ARC DECRA Fellow at the University of Sydney's School of Electrical & Computer Engineering. He holds a B.E. (Hons.) from the University of Sydney (2014) and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UNSW (2018). His research focuses on smart grids, renewable energy integration, voltage control, and optimization of power systems. Key interests include distributed generation planning, energy storage systems, and demand response mechanisms. Dr. Zhang leads research on enhancing distribution network resilience through advanced control strategies and participates in the Net Zero Institute. He has secured grants such as the 2024 ARC DECRA project on renewables hosting capacity. Supervised students include Yunqing Zhang, working on robust renewables integration. His recent publications emphasize data-driven approaches, decentralized energy trading, and adaptive control for unbalanced networks. He explores machine learning applications in energy management and stochastic optimization under uncertainty. Awards include the University Medal for academic excellence. Awards: ARC DECRA Fellow Grants: 2024 Robust Renewables Hosting Capacity Enhancement Labs/Teams: Member of the Net Zero Institute
Associate Professor Archie Chapman is an Associate Professor in Computer Science and Deputy Director (Teaching and Learning) at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland. His research focuses on applying artificial intelligence, game theory, optimization, and machine learning to address challenges in future power systems, including renewable energy integration and battery storage optimization. Prior to UQ, he held roles as a Research Fellow in Smart Grids at the University of Sydney (2011-2019) and a postdoc at the University of Southampton (2009-2010), where he completed his PhD in 2004. Research interests include: - Large-scale optimization for energy systems - Demand response and peer-to-peer energy trading - Renewable energy integration and grid stability - Battery storage strategies for smart grids - Algorithmic game theory for energy market design Notable projects: - Bruny Island battery trial for network congestion management - Analysis of tariff impacts on solar households - Development of decentralized energy management frameworks Publications span over 100 articles, with recent work focusing on: - Prosumer battery systems and capacity firming (2025) - Unbalanced optimal power flow benchmarks (2024) - P2P energy trading mechanisms (2021-2023) Expertise includes: - Techno-economic analysis of energy systems - Distributed optimization algorithms - Policy and market design for renewable integration
Dr. Keiron Roberts is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and the Built Environment at the University of Portsmouth, affiliated with the School of Civil Engineering & Surveying within the Faculty of Technology. He also contributes to the Revolution Plastics Institute and the Centre for Environmental and Renewable Energy Solutions. His research focuses on plastic policy analysis, waste management, energy systems, and circular economy principles. Roberts has led projects funded by Innovate UK (e.g., SHAPE UK and SEA CHANGE) aimed at decarbonizing shipping and supporting SMEs in achieving Net Zero. He co-authored policy reports for UNEP, G20, and Defra, including the UN’s first Compass Report on plastic pollution policies. His work includes coordinating global initiatives like the G20 marine plastic litter think piece and analyzing the environmental impact of PPE during the pandemic. Roberts holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Southampton and has conducted postdoctoral research on wastewater management and biofuel production from marine algae. Education MSci (Hons) Oceanography, University of Southampton (2007–2011) PhD in Civil Engineering (Anaerobic digestion of marine microalgae), University of Southampton (2011–2015) PGCE in Secondary and Tertiary Physics, University of Southampton (2015–2016) Research Interests Roberts’ work spans plastic policy, waste management systems, energy transition, and circular economy applications. He emphasizes actionable solutions, such as developing tools like SWIMS for UK waste infrastructure modeling and advising on PPE litter impacts post-COVID-19. His interdisciplinary approach integrates environmental science, engineering, and policy to address global sustainability challenges. Grants & Awards Recipient of the 2023 Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence (University of Portsmouth) Principal Investigator on Innovate UK projects (SHAPE UK, SEA CHANGE, Isle of Wight Energy Autonomous Community) Labs & Collaborations Active in the Revolution Plastics Institute and GreenTech South, collaborating with organizations like Southern Water and UN agencies to advance Net Zero goals and plastic policy frameworks.
