Dr. Sara Barja Martinez was born in A Coruña, Spain. She received her M.Sc. degree in Industrial Engineering, specializing in Renewable Energies, in 2018 at the School of Industrial Engineering of Barcelona (ETSEIB) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). In 2023, she completed her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the same institution. She completed a doctoral stay at Imperial College London in 2022, strengthening her international collaborations. She currently holds the position of Lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering at UPC. Her career integrates experience in teaching, research, and technology transfer, with a strong emphasis on innovation in the energy sector. Her expertise lies in applying artificial intelligence to distribution grids, flexibility markets, and optimization strategies for prosumers and energy communities. She co-directed the Smart Energy Master’s Program at the UPC Foundation, and currently, she is the scientific coordinator of the Estabanell-UPC Chair, guiding AI and data-driven projects focused on the digital transformation of Catalonia’s electricity grid.