Mr. Gonzalo Piernavieja Izquierdo
Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias
Canary Islands, Spain
Gonzalo Piernavieja holds a Degree in Physics (University of Munich, Germany) and a Masters Degree in Energy and Environmental Management (Technical University of Berlin, Germany). His professional career started at Munich's energy supply company (Stadtwerke München), where he contributed to set up one of the first grid connected photovoltaic installations in Germany (1991/2). In 1993 he returned to the Canary Islands to work as manager in renewable energy and water projects at the Process Engineering Department of the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In 1996 he joined the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC) as Coordinator of the Solar Energy Department. Currently, Mr. Piernavieja is the Director of ITC's R&D&I Division, which carries out applied research activities in emerging technological fields (renewable energies, water technologies, biotechnology, environmental technologies, biomedical-, mechanical- and software-engineering). The Division has 9 Departments with a total staff of 110 persons; its Renewable Energies Department carries out energy planning consultancy services to the Regional Government of the Canary Islands and other institutions.
Prof. Goran Strbac
Imperial College
London, United Kingdom
Goran Strbac is a Professor of Energy Systems, with extensive experience in advanced modelling and analysis of operation, planning, security and economics of energy systems. He led the development of novel advanced analysis approaches and methodologies that have been extensively used to inform industry, governments and regulatory bodies abut the role and value of emerging new technologies and systems in supporting cost effective evolution to smart low carbon future. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the SmartGrids European Technology Platform, co-chair of EU WG on Sustainable Districts and Built Environment of Smart Cities, Director of the UK Centre for Grid Scale Energy Storage, participates in working groups and committees within CIGRE, CIRED IET, IEEE and IEA.
Prof. Maria da Graça Carvalho
Instituto Superior Técnico
Lisbon, Portugal
Maria da Graça Carvalho is currently member of the European Parliament (2019-2024).In the European Parliament she is a full Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and a substitute Member on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and substitute member on Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM).She follows as well the parliamentary Delegations for relations with the United States, for relations with the countries of Central America and Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly.In the past, Maria da Graça Carvalho has also served as member of the European Parliament in the EPP group from 2009-2014. She sat on the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee as a full member and was a substitute member of the Committee on Budgets. In the Budget Committee, she acted during the 5 years as permanent EPP shadow rapporteur for the science and innovation budget and as rapporteur for the space budget. As a MEP, she was appointed rapporteur of the Specific Programme Implementing HORIZON 2020 and of the report on Simplification of the Rules of Participation in the European Programs for Research and Innovation. In 2011, she was awarded the Prize for the best MEP in the area of Research and Innovation.Maria da Graça Carvalho has been a Member of the Scientific Advice Mechanism Unit of the Directorate-General Research and Innovation of the European Commission from 2016 until 2019. She was a senior advisor of Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation from November 2014 to December 2015. She was Principal Adviser of President of the European Commission in the areas of Science, Innovation, Energy, Environment and Climate Change from 2006 to 2009. She was Minister of Science and Higher Education of the XV Constitutional Government and Minister of Science, Innovation and Higher Education of the XVI Constitutional Government of Portugal. She is a Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico (University of Lisbon) and she has acquired 30 years of experience in research in the areas of energy, climate change and science, technology and innovation policy. She has published 130 articles in international scientific journals and more than 300 articles in books and conference proceedings. She is, herself, the author of two books and the editor of 17 books and special editions of international scientific journals in the field of energy. She is a member of 22 scientific associations and fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) and has been a Deputy President of the Portuguese Institute of Engineers and remains a fellow of the Portuguese Institute of Engineers, of the Portuguese Academy of Science, of the Royal Academy of Engineers of Spain, a founder of the Portuguese Academy of Engineers and an Honorary Member of Academy Europaea. She has been an active collaborator of EASAC-European Academies Science Advisory Council and the Euro CASE-European Council of Applied Sciences Technologies and Engineering since the outset. She has been awarded the title of “Great Official of the Order of Public Instruction” by the President of Republic of Portugal and she was honoured with the “Great Cross of the International Order of Merit of the Discoverer of Brazil”. She is member of the Chancellery of the Orders of Merit of the Portuguese Republic.
