Researcher Jônatas Augusto Manzolli was awarded the 2026 APREN Prize in the Ph.D. category during the 11th edition of the initiative organized by the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN).
The award recognizes the doctoral dissertation “Adaptive Energy Management Strategies for Electric Bus Fleets: A Hybrid Approach with Artificial Intelligence and Optimization Methods,” developed at the University of Coimbra as part of the Doctoral Program in Sustainable Energy Systems. The work was supervised by Professor Carlos Henggeler Antunes and Professor João Pedro Trovão, both researchers at INESC Coimbra.
The award-winning research proposes advanced energy management strategies for electric bus fleets, combining artificial intelligence and optimization methods. The work contributes to addressing key challenges of the energy transition in urban transportation, including charging planning, the efficient operation of electric fleets, integration with the power grid, and the reduction of operating costs and emissions.
Jônatas Augusto Manzolli is currently a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University in Canada and a researcher at INESC Coimbra. His research lies at the intersection of electric mobility, sustainable energy systems, optimization, and artificial intelligence, with a special focus on electric buses, smart charging, vehicle-grid integration, and decarbonization strategies for urban fleets.
