Sonja Monica Berlijn is a Professor of sustainable integrated energy systems at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Her work focuses on the energy transition towards sustainable systems, emphasizing electrification, digitalization, and grid modernization. She examines practical challenges in maintaining energy security, including infrastructure upgrades, renewable integration, and cybersecurity risks in smart grids. Collaborations with industry and public actors drive her research on improving insulation systems, voltage management, and environmental resilience in power transmission networks. Her research interests encompass power systems engineering, renewable energy integration, cybersecurity in energy infrastructure, and the digitalization of control systems. She investigates solutions for grid reliability, such as advanced monitoring of overhead lines using image analysis and surveillance systems. Her work also addresses environmental factors like ice/snow impacts on insulators and volcanic ash effects, ensuring robustness against natural hazards. Berlijn’s contributions include pioneering methods for voltage uprating of transmission lines (e.g., upgrading 300 kV to 420 kV) and developing testing protocols for high-voltage equipment compliance with IEC standards. Her publications span over two decades, highlighting expertise in insulation coordination, partial discharge measurements, and system safety under extreme conditions. Despite no explicit awards listed, her extensive industry collaboration underscores her applied research impact. Her advising and grants focus on advancing technical solutions for energy systems through interdisciplinary approaches. She engages in lab-based studies of material performance and field applications of smart grid technologies, aiming to bridge theoretical and practical challenges in sustainable energy systems.



