Chief Assistant Professor, Net-Zero Lab Deputy Director, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University

Biography

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mariya Trifonova has over 14 years of experience in renewable energy technologies. She is the Deputy Director of the Net-Zero Lab and a lecturer in energy economics at Sofia University, where she also directs the Master’s Program in Energy Markets and Services. Additionally, she is a guest lecturer at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (MBA Energy Economics). Dr. Trifonova authored the first techno-economic assessment of offshore wind energy potential in the Bulgarian section of the Black Sea, based on national-specific data, and contributed to drafting Bulgaria’s offshore wind legislative act as part of the working group. She serves on the Steering Committee of ETIPWind and previously coordinated the BLUECEE initiative, which aimed to establish the Black Sea Renewable Energy Coalition, mirroring the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEAN). Committed to fostering regional expertise, she launched the Marine Renewable Energy Academy, an international summer educational program designed to build a network of professionals in the Black Sea region equipped with cutting-edge knowledge of European industry advancements. Dr. Trifonova also served as Co-Chair of the Energy Transition Commission, a sub-committee of the Bulgarian Ministerial Council’s Advisory Body on the European Green Deal. She has co-authored numerous publications on sustainable renewable energy deployment for the Cohesion4Transition community of practice (DG REGIO).