WG1 Leader

Elena Vagnoni is a scientist and lecturer at EPFL. She completed her PhD in Mechanics at EPFL in 2018. She leads the scientific activities of the XFLEX HYDRO project, and, in particular, performs and supervises the innovation tasks related to the smart control and methodology for extending hydropower plant flexibility.

WG 2 Leader

Doğan Gezer received the B.S. and M.S. and PhD degrees in electrical and electronics engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey, in 2007 and 2009. He currently pursues his PhD degree at TOBB ETU university and works as expert research engineer at TUBITAK MAM.

WG3 Leader

Ritesh Patro is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist specializing in the climate-water-energy nexus at the University of Oulu in Finland. His current research centers on the Water-Food-Energy Nexus for sustainable resource management in the Arctic environment.

WG4 Leader

Egidijus Kasiulis graduated in 2015 in Environmental Engineering from Aleksandras Stulginskis University (now Vytautas Magnus University) in Lithuania. Since 2016 he is a researcher at the Department of Water Engineering. His main research interests – conventional and hydrokinetic (ocean waves, river flow) energy conversion and its environmental impact.

WG5 Leader

Marina Cerpinska is a researcher and lecturer at Riga Technical University, Latvia. She completed her PhD thesis “Air gap monitoring of hydropower unit generator to advance vibration diagnostic procedure” in 2015. She worked as a mechanical engineer for hydropower diagnostic services from 2013 till 2021. She currently works full-time as an academic, head of study program and organiser of international cooperation.

WG1

Oreste Fecarotta is an Associate Professor of Hydraulics in the Department of Civil, Building, and Environmental Engineering (DICEA) at the University of Naples "Federico II." His research primarily focuses on energy recovery and the efficiency of water supply and distribution systems.

WG 2

Eva Bílková is a Water Management and Water Structures graduate from CTU in Prague, where she also completed her PhD thesis on "CFD-based optimization of variable-speed propeller turbine" in 2023. She has been involved in projects related to optimizing hydraulic structures and hydropower.

WG2

Dr Ivana Lučin is postdoctorate research and teaching assistant working at the Department of fluid mechanics and computational engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Rijeka, Croatia. She defended her doctoral thesis "The application of artificial intelligence in water transportation systems" in 2022.

WG2

Anna Chernobrova is currently a PhD student at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. After graduating from Sumy State University in Ukraine with a master's degree, she is continuing her studies in the field of hydraulics at the Doctoral School in Poland.

WG3

María Ubierna co-founded Open Hydro with the mission to accelerate climate action in the hydropower sector. She holds a MSc in civil engineering and a postgraduate Master of Advanced Studies in sustainable water resources from ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

WG3

Dr Marie-Pierre Gosselin is a researcher in the department of Aquatic Biodiversity at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research in Trondheim, Norway. She is a specialist in aquatic ecology and ecohydraulics with 20 years of international experience.

WG3

Dr. E. Ritesh Patro is a researcher working at the Water, Energy and Environmental Engineering Research Unit, at the Faculty of Technology, University of Oulu, Finland. He got his Ph.D. at the Water Sciences and Engineering division of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA) of the Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

WG3

Behnam earned his PhD in water-civil engineering in 2018 and has been employed as a Researcher at NTNU since 2020. His research interests encompass experimental, field, and numerical studies in sediment and flow hydraulics, hydropower, river engineering, and hydraulic structures.

WG4

Milena is an experience hydropower engineer with over 10 years in the sector, contributing through the Innovation Center at the University of Niš. Active member of the Serbian Chamber of Engineers, focused on advancing sustainable software solutions and mentoring in hydropower.

WG5

Dr. Valbona Karapici is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Tirana, Faculty of Economy. She holds a PhD focusing on energy trading opportunities in the Southeast European (SEE) countries, specifically examining the dynamics of an integrated market. Her research interests include energy economics, market integration, and sustainable development within the energy sector.Description goes here

WG5

Chukwuebuka Edum is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Legal Studies at the University of Bologna, Italy. He is actively involved in several professional memberships, including the Emerging Scholars Initiative of the International Water Law at the University of Wuhan, China, and the Young Professionals in Hydropower of the International Hydropower Association.

WG5

Giga Tvauri is a Ph.D. candidate in Business Administration Sciences at the Business and Technology University. In 2023, he received a Doctorate grant from the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation in Georgia. His thesis focuses on the role of renewable energy in the socio-economic development of the country within the context of sustainable development goals.

WG5

Natalia Weber is a dynamic Project Manager and specialist in Climate and Renewable Energy Systems. With a strong commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions, she is actively engaged with Young Energy Professionals in Austria. Natalia combines her expertise in renewable technologies with strategic project management to drive impactful initiatives in the energy sector