Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Sun, May 17, 2026 08:28 AM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Valentin Robu

Lecturer in Smart Grids, Heriot-Watt University

Valentin Robu is a lecturer in smart electricity grids at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh (since March 2014). Prior to this he was a senior research fellow in the Agents, Interaction and Complexity Research group at the University of Southampton, where he still holds a visiting position. He completed his PhD at CWI, the Netherlands National Research Center for Mathematics and Computer Science in Amsterdam (degree was jointly awarded with the TU Eindhoven) in 2009, and his Master degree at the Free University of Amsterdam in 2004.

His research interests include using multi-agent systems and distributed Artificial Intelligence techniques to solve a range of challenges in the evolving electricity grid, such as decentralised scheduling and coordination of electric vehicle charging, integrating intermittent renewable resources into the grid using virtual power plants, or demand-side management techniques, such as industrial response and collective switching.

How AI and robots will help safeguard our offshore energy infrastructure in the future

Aug 19, 2019 01:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

The modern world depends on the smooth provision of vital services such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, food, water and healthcare. But the systems underpinning these sectors are increasingly complex and...

The new industrial revolution: robots are an opportunity, not a threat

Aug 11, 2017 05:04 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Invasion. Takeover. These are the kind of words that have been bandied about in news headlines about robotics and artificial intelligence in the last few years. The coverage has been almost relentlessly negative, focusing...

Why artificial intelligence could be key to future-proofing the grid

Jan 28, 2017 06:24 am UTC| Technology

A recent Conversation piece pointed out that the British electricity mix in 2016 was the cleanest in 60 years, with record capacity from renewable energy, mainly from wind and solar power. But one problem with this great...

Economy

Samsung Strike Talks Resume as South Korea Weighs Emergency Action

South Korea is considering all available measures, including emergency arbitration, to prevent a potential labor strike at Samsung Electronics, according to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. The government is aiming to minimize...

Australia Capital Gains Tax Reform Sparks Housing Market Debate

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers has strongly defended the federal governments proposed overhaul of capital gains tax laws, arguing that major reform is necessary to address Australias worsening housing affordability...

Oil Prices Surge Above $109 as Strait of Hormuz Crisis and U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate

Global oil prices soared Friday, posting strong weekly gains as tensions between the United States and Iran continued to intensify and the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed, fueling fears of a prolonged global...

Gold Prices Post Worst Weekly Drop Since March as Strong Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Bets Pressure Metals

Gold prices tumbled sharply on Friday, recording their biggest weekly decline since mid-March as a stronger U.S. dollar and growing expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes weighed heavily on the precious metals market....

Powell Named Fed Chair Pro Tempore as Trump Prepares to Install Kevin Warsh

The Federal Reserve Board announced Friday that Jerome Powell will serve as chair pro tempore until Kevin Warsh is officially sworn in as the next leader of the U.S. central bank. The move comes as President Donald Trump...

Politics

Colombia Election Violence: Two Campaign Workers for Abelardo De La Espriella Killed Ahead of Presidential Vote

Political violence in Colombia has intensified after two campaign workers supporting right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo De La Espriella were killed just weeks before the countrys 2026 presidential election. The...

Alex Saab Deported to U.S. as Maduro Investigation Deepens

Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a close ally of former President Nicolas Maduro, has reportedly been deported to the United States, according to Venezuelas migration agency SAIME. The move marks another major development in...

Taiwan Says U.S. Arms Sales Remain Key to Regional Stability

Taiwan reaffirmed on Saturday that U.S. arms sales remain vital to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region after President Donald Trump said he had not yet decided whether to approve a new weapons...

Amazon Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Trump Tariff Price Hikes

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit after consumers accused the company of inflating product prices due to tariffs later ruled unlawful by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, filed in...

Alberta Separatist Movement Faces Major Legal Setback Ahead of Referendum Push

Albertas separatist movement has suffered a significant blow after a provincial court ruled against a petition campaign seeking a referendum on Alberta independence from Canada. The decision creates new uncertainty for...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Samsung Union Talks Enter Final Stage as Strike Threat Looms

Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union are set to resume critical wage negotiations on Monday as both sides race to prevent a major strike that could disrupt South Koreas economy and global semiconductor supply...

SpaceX Shareholders Approve 5-for-1 Stock Split Ahead of Potential IPO

A majority of SpaceX shareholders have reportedly approved a 5-for-1 stock split proposed by the companys board, according to a Bloomberg News report published Friday. The decision comes as interest continues to grow...

FTC Antitrust Probe Targets Arm Holdings Over Chip Licensing Practices

Arm Holdings Plc (NASDAQ: ARM) is reportedly under formal investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over concerns tied to its semiconductor licensing business, according to Bloomberg. The probe marks a...

Applied Materials Forecasts Strong Q3 Revenue as AI Chip Demand Accelerates

Applied Materials posted record fiscal second-quarter revenue on Thursday and issued a stronger-than-expected forecast for the third quarter, fueled by rising global investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure and...

Anthropic Nears $30 Billion Funding Round at $900 Billion Valuation

AI startup Anthropic is reportedly close to securing a massive $30 billion fundraising deal that would value the company at approximately $900 billion, according to a Financial Times report published Friday. The new...