Valentin Robu

Valentin Robu is a Full Professor of Artificial Intelligence for Decentralised Energy Systems, in the Electrical Engineering Department at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). His primary affiliation is as Senior Researcher in the Intelligent and Autonomous Systems Group at CWI, the Netherlands National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science in Amsterdam. He also has an honorary appointment as Visiting Research Collaborator at the ECE department at Princeton University in the US.

His core research expertise in in the area of multi-agent systems and distributed AI, more specifically designing strategies and interactions between strategic agents, such as in negotiation and auctions settings. A large part of his research in recent years has focused on using AI techniques to address challenges in building next-generation energy systems and smart grids. Example challenges in this area include: coordination of charging between multiple electric vehicles, such that the capacity of the distribution networks is not exceeded, using game-theoretic models for the integration of renewable energy suppliers into existing grids or incentive design for distributed demand-side response. Over his career, he has collaborated with many researchers in many countries, and co-authored over 150+ journal/conference papers/book chapters. He has won a number of awards, such as the 2019 UK Innovation of the Year Award (awarded by the IET, the UK's Institute for Engineering and Technology), for his work on network monitoring with Scottish Power Energy Networks, or the 2018 Low Carbon Transport Award, from the British Renewable Energy Association, for the work on hybrid vessels on the Thames in London. His research was featured in a number of venues, such as the Conversation, the BBC, the Economist, Nature, World Economic Forum, the US Congres Research Service etc.

Artificial Intelligence plays an increasingly key role in the planning and operation of our energy systems. This is driven both by increasing uncertainty (from renewable generation or new types of loads, such as EV charging), as well as increasing decentralisation, with individual prosumers acting autonomously, based on their own goals and private information. Dealing with these challenges requires new techniques, both from machine learning, but also from multi-agent systems and algorithmic game theory.