Online feedback optimization refers to a class of feedback controllers that take the form of online optimization algorithms, that are real-time interconnected with a physical system, and that asymptotically steer the system to the solution of an optimization problem while respecting physical and operational constraints. In comparison to other optimization-based control strategies, transient optimality of trajectories is not the primary goal, and no predictive model, running costs or exogenous set-points are required. Hence, one aims at controllers that require little (respectively no) model information, demand low computational cost, but that leverage real-time measurements to stabilize the closed-loop system while enforcing constraints and seeking asymptotic optimality. Online feedback optimization method sits square between optimal/adaptive control and reinforcement learning, it has historic roots in communication networks and process control, and our enabling application of interest is the electric power system. I will give a tutorial introduction, discuss different algorithms, their closed-loop stability when interconnected with physical systems, and implementation aspects. Throughout the talk I demonstrate the potential of our methodology for real-time operation of power systems including commercial implementations.

Florian Dörfler is a Professor at the Automatic Control Laboratory at ETH Zürich. He received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2013, and a Diplom degree in Engineering Cybernetics from the University of Stuttgart in 2008. From 2013 to 2014 he was an Assistant Professor at the University of California Los Angeles. He has been serving as the Associate Head of the ETH Zürich Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering from 2021 until 2022. His research interests are centered around automatic control, system theory, optimization, and learning. His particular foci are on network systems, data-driven settings, and applications to power systems. He is a recipient of the distinguished young research awards by IFAC (Manfred Thoma Medal 2020) and EUCA (European Control Award 2020). He and his team received best paper distinctions in the top venues of control, machine learning, power systems, power electronics, circuits and systems. They were recipients of the 2011 O. Hugo Schuck Best Paper Award, the 2012-2014 Automatica Best Paper Award, the 2016 IEEE Circuits and Systems Guillemin-Cauer Best Paper Award, the 2022 IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics Prize Paper Award, the 2024 Control Systems Magazine Outstanding Paper Award, and multiple Best PhD thesis awards at UC Santa Barbara and ETH Zürich. They were further winners or finalists for Best Student Paper awards at the European Control Conference (2013, 2019), the American Control Conference (2010,2016,2024), the Conference on Decision and Control (2020), the PES General Meeting (2020), the PES PowerTech Conference (2017), the International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (2021), the IEEE CSS Swiss Chapter Young Author Best Journal Paper Award (2022,2024), the IFAC Conferences on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (2024) and Cyber-Physical-Human Systems (2024), and NeurIPS Oral (2024). He is currently serving on the council of the European Control Association and as a senior editor of Automatica.

The need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) has led to the introduction of more clean and efficient technologies in different sectors, such as transportation and energy systems. Road transport represents a significant portion of total transport GHG emissions, pushing towards the widespread of electric vehicles (EVs) and new possible combustibles (like biofuels and hydrogen), which require a re-design of the overall supply chain and a new planning framework. Moreover, this is an even wider area of research because energy efficiency can be attained in sectors other than road transport, such as ships, logistics, and robots.There is a significant connection between sustainable mobility and power and energy systems, especially when EVs and hydrogen-based systems are considered. The talk will be focused on EVs and their integration in multi energy systems and transportation networks.First, scheduling problems for EVs’ charging are presented in both discrete time and discrete event frameworks, considering their integration in multi energy systems (characterized by renewables, microturbines, storage systems, electrolyzer, fuel cell, smart buildings, etc.) and smart grids. Attention will be focused on different case studies: depot of electric buses, smart parking, green ports, and polygeneration microgrids. Approaches based on both centralized and decentralized optimization will be discussed.Then, planning problems will be presented, and, in particular, the optimal siting and sizing of charging stations over a territory. In this case, it is necessary to integrate the modelling of the electrical grid, the transportation/traffic network, and users’ choice. The effectiveness of the presented approaches will be shown through several examples, real applications and pilot facilities.Future challenges will be discussed in relation to new possible advancements, charging and routing problems and their application in different application areas (fright transportation, warehouse, logistics, robots, etc.).

Michela Robba is Associate Professor of Systems Engineering at University of Genoa. She received the Degree in Environmental Engineering in 2000, and the PhD in Electronic and Computer Engineering in 2004, from the University of Genova. The research activity is focused on optimization and control of smart grids, electric vehicles, renewable energy resources, and natural resources management. She is a member of the scientific board of the Italian Energy Technological Cluster, and she is the President of Liguria Region (Italy) Energy Consortium. She is Senior Editor for the journal IEEE Transactions on automation science and engineering, and Associate Editor for International Journal of Robotics and Research, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, and Control Engineering Practice. She has joined several International Programme Committees at conferences in the field of control and optimization, she is a member and vice-chair of different IFAC Technical Committees, and she is Chair of publications and Editor for the IFAC IAMES 2022 workshop. She is the Chair of the IFAC Technical Committee 6.3 Power and Energy Systems. Actually, she is lecturer for the courses ”Simulation of energy and environmental systems”, ”Models and methods for Energy Engineering”, “Basics of systems theory and control”, and ”Methods and models for logistics” at the Polytechnic School of University of Genova. She is author of more than 150 publications in international journals, books and proceedings of international conferences. Main publications can be found at Google scholar: https://scholar.google.it/citations?user=baTT1PwAAAAJ&hl=it

Arturo De Risi is currently Full Professor at the University of Salento – Lecce.
1999 he obtained its Ph.D. in “Energy Systems and Environment” at the University of Lecce.
7 / 99-10 / 99 Guest Researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Engine Research Center, Madison, WI, USA where he deals with problems related to three-dimensional modeling of injection processes;
7 / 98-10 / 98 Guest Researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Engine Research Center, Madison, WI, USA where he realizes a new calculation model for the simulation of collision processes in dense sprays;
9 / 96-12 / 96 Guest Researcher at the University of Wisconsin, Engine Research Center, Madison, WI, USA as part of a consultancy relationship on behalf of the Fiat Research Center;
7 / 95-9 / 96 Guest Researcher at Princeton University, NJ, USA. During this period, he carries out research activities on combustion processes in alternative engines powered with gaseous fuels. In particular, he studied the relative importance of chemical kinetics, diffusive properties of combustive mixtures and turbulence on the combustion processes in stratified charge engines;

During his career he has held the following positions:
2016-today He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Energy Technology District (DiTNE).
2012-2016 He is deputy director of the Innovative Culture Center of the University of Salento;
2011-2014 He is a member of the Italian Concentration Solar Energy Technology Platform;
2009-2012 He is a member of the evaluation committee of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano;
2008-2012 He is a member of the CDA of the Apulian Production District “La Nuova Energia”;
2008-2016 He is a member of the CDA of the National Energy Technology District;
2008-present Member of the NSERC Evaluation Committee – National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada;
2008-2010 He is a member of the scientific technical management committee of the Puglia Region as part of the Thermodynamic Solar Task Force under coordinated by prof. Carlo Rubbia;
2007-2019 He is a member of the governing board of the SAE-Neaples section of SAE International.
2007-2008 He is member of the stearing board of the “Vai Col Vento” program funded by the Puglia Region for the development of Renewables Energies.
2007 He is a member of the working group that drafted the Regional Regulation 4 October 2006, n. 16 “Regulations for the construction of wind farms in the Puglia Region”.
2007-2010 Member of the Board of the Energy Agency of the Province of Lecce;
2005-2012 He is a member of the Technical Scientific Committee of the University Linguistic Center.

Bibliometric indicators:
Scopus: n. Doc. 113, n. cit. 3472, H-index 25
International patents 15
National patents 1

He is member of the following associations: 
Associazione Termotecnica Italiana (ATI), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Institute of Areonautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA).

Born in 1978, Dr. Michela Chimienti is a researcher and innovation manager with significant experience in the field of applied research. She holds a degree in Management Engineering from the Politecnico di Bari and later earned a Ph.D. in Advanced Production Systems. She currently serves as Program/Research Manager at the Fondazione Network 4 Energy Sustainable Transition – NEST, where she coordinates strategic research initiatives within the framework of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

She has authored a substantial number of scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating her contribution to advancements in production systems, with a focus on sustainability.

Throughout her career, she has collaborated with Italian and U.S. universities, including the University of Kentucky – Center for Sustainable Manufacturing, and has coordinated and overseen the scientific responsibility of more than 11 national and international research projects.

Among her key roles are acting as liaison with the Italian Ministries of Education (MIUR) and Economic Development (MSE) for strategic initiatives, and serving as R&D manager for various innovative startups. She has led numerous technology transfer projects between academia and industry, with a particular focus on optimizing production processes and implementing innovative solutions.

Born in Bari (Italy) in 1971, mechanical engineer (1995– Polytechnic of Bari) and Phd in Energy and Environmental Systems (2000 – University of Salento), Giuseppe Starace since 2021 is Full Professor of Applied Thermodynamics and heat Transfer @University LUM ‘Giuseppe Degennaro’ Department of Engineering in Casamassima (BA, Italy), after 21 years past @University of Salento in Lecce, Italy.

His main research issues at present are energy production and management both from traditional and renewable energy sources, heat transfer and heat exchangers, modeling and optimization of vapor compression and absorption refrigeration systems, characterization methods for technical textiles.

He coauthored more than 150 research papers (mainly international) and technical books. He has been taking part in different roles to more than 30 R&D projects for 25 years.

From 1996 to 2000 he worked as an industrial engineer both in small and big enterprises and experienced two periods abroad (in USA, Madison, WI @ University of Wisconsin and in Stuttgart, Germany @BOSCH Gmbh) devoted to industrial research, experimental and design activities about Diesel injection systems and sprays.

Since 2010, he’s actively involved in the writing of financing calls of Apulia Region managed by its In-House Company Puglia Sviluppo spa mainly on energy issues and acts as an advisor in the evaluation process of investors.

In 2016 he was appointed as President and Coordinator of the Technical and Scientific Committee of the Apulian Productive District “La Nuova Energia” (www.lanuovaenergia.it).

Since 2020 he collaborates with the European Innovation Council (EIC) either as External Expert or Remote Evaluator or Member of Evaluation Panel in Bruxelles; in the same year he got the Certification as an Expert in Energy Management according to the standard UNI 11339.

Since 2024, he’s Certified Innovation Manager according to the Italian Standard UNI 11814 and Member of the List of Certificators of Expenses Research Development and Innovation @Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy.

At present he’s in charge of many tasks as a professional engineer in particular by SMEs, concerning engineering, R&D and innovation management. He holds 10 national and international granted patents.

Overview of the Italian electricity grid managed by E-Distribuzione, with a particular focus on the opportunities introduced by smart grids, especially in relation to the new distributed generation model. In particular, the main applications and players will be illustrated, with references to real cases implemented in Italy, and specifically in the Apulia region.

Augusto Minunni holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Bari and brings over twenty years of experience in the energy sector. Since 2002, he has held various managerial positions at Enel, overseeing network operations and infrastructure projects across several Italian provinces, including BAT, Foggia, Lecce, Vibo Valentia, Trapani, Messina, and the Basilicata region.

In 2022, he was appointed as the Head of the Planning and Management for the Puglia and Basilicata regions. In this role, he is responsible for the strategic planning and operational coordination of the local electricity distribution network, plays a key role in implementing projects funded by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), focusing on modernizing infrastructure to support the country’s energy transition.

Gianna Elisa Berlingerio, mother of three, has been serving since May 2021 as Director of the Department of Economic Development of the Apulia Region, after previously heading two of its eight sections.

The Department focuses on business support for capital investment, research and development, internationalization (including interregional cooperation under the Interreg program), and process and product innovation. It is also responsible for industrial infrastructure and corporate crisis management. Its scope further includes energy policy and youth initiatives.

In this demanding role, she brings to bear her professional experience gained between Bari and Brussels as a lawyer, mainly in administrative law, along with expertise acquired through a specialization in European Community Law and Economics and a Ph.D. in Public Economic Law.

She has a deep, visceral love for her homeland and makes no effort to appear objective or impartial in national and international contexts.