Speakers Bios & Abstracts

Platzhalter Speakers
Brigitte Bach
AT

Head of Energy Department,
Austrian Institute of Technology

Biography

Brigitte Bach is authorized representative of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and Head of the AIT Energy Department, where she is responsible for strategic development, personnel and finances.
 
Brigitte Bach obtained her PhD in Engineering Physics from the Vienna University of Technology in 1992 and completed a postgraduate degree in Management Development and Communication at the Danube University Krems. She started her career at AIT in 1999 and was appointed Head of the Energy Department in January 2009.
 
Research at the Department focuses on “Energy Infrastructure“ and “Integrated Energy Systems“.
 
The Department follows an integrative approach to investigate key issues of the energy infrastructure and develop holistic solutions for the energy systems of the future. The Department has internationally recognized expertise in the areas of Smart Grids and Smart Cities.
 
Brigitte Bach is actively involved in national and international bodies. She is a member of the EERA (European Energy Research Alliance) Executive Committee, Coordinator of the Joint Programme on Smart Cities and Chair of the group “Horizon 2020 Advisory Group on Energy”. Moreover she acts as a chair of the extern Expert Group for “Smart City Vienna”. Brigitte Bach received the “Austrian of the Year 2009“ award in the category “Research” in autumn 2009.


Additional relevant positions
Former
• Member of  the board of the Technical University Graz
• Member of the Advisory Group on Energy Research FP7 (EC)
• Member of the ad hoc Advisory Group on the Energy Roadmap 2050 (EC)
• Member States Initiative Smart Grids (first phase accomplished, second phase under discussion) and
• Member States Initiative Smart Cities (ongoing, leading to Joint calls in the first Phase); Initiating, structuring, process management
• Reviewer in FP7
• IEA, Vice Chair of EGSE (Expert Group on Science for Energy)
• E2C Conference (European Energy Conference),
Member of the Scientific Programme Committee
• Vice Chair of European Heat Pump Association (EHPA)
• Speaker and moderator on several EC stakeholder conferences
• Reviewer for the Helmholtz Programme “Storage and Cross-linked Infrastructures”
• Book contribution as evaluator for the chapter called 1) ICT-based solutions supporting Energy Systems for Smart Cities in the book  "Social, Economic, and Environmental Sustainability in the Development of Smart Cities"
• SET Plan Energy Education and Training Initiative, Rapporteur Smart Cities
• Reviewer for the Danish Council for Strategic Research (DSF),
 
Current
• EERA: EXCO member and coordinator of JPC Smart Cities
• Member States Initiative Smart Cities (ongoing, leading to Joint calls in the first Phase); Initiating, structuring, process management
• Expert in Scientific Evaluation Panel in BRIDGE-Group (FFG Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Member of the expert group for EIP European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EC)
• Chair for Smart City Vienna Board (TINA Vienna)
• Chair of Horizon 2020 Advisory Group on Energy
• Member of the external Advisory group “Smart City Vienna”
• Member of the Advisory group “Smart Grids Modellregion Salzburg”
• Member of the managing board of “Austria Solar”
• Member of the action group femOVE, which is a women leading group out ot the network of Electrical Engineering of Austria
• Member of the group “Energy Task Force” from Upper Austria in relation to the initiative “Innvative Upper Austria 2020”
 
Awards
2009: received the price “Österreicherin des Jahres” as Austrian of the Year in the category“Research”