Associate Professor  El Mostafa  Kalmoun
School of Science and Engineering, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco

Title: Beyond Smooth Boundaries: Strategic Renewable Energy Planning via Nonsmooth Bilevel Optimization

Abstract:

Strategic investment in renewable energy infrastructure often involves complex, hierarchical decisions shaped by policy incentives and market responses. This talk explores a bilevel optimization framework where a government agency sets budget allocations and capacity targets, while energy companies react by optimizing their investments. Unlike traditional models, our approach embraces the nonsmooth nature of real-world policies, such as threshold-based subsidies and piecewise cost structures, using Approximate Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (AKKT) conditions. These conditions offer a powerful alternative when classical optimality fails, especially at critical policy boundaries. Through a case study, we demonstrate how AKKT-based analysis reveals optimal strategies that standard methods overlook, which provides actionable insights for policymakers and planners navigating the challenges of renewable energy transitions.

Biography:

El Mostafa Kalmoun earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics (Optimization) from Cadi Ayyad University in 2001. He was awarded a Matsumae International Foundation fellowship in Japan and held postdoctoral positions at Niigata University and Friedrich-Alexander University in Germany. His academic career spans institutions in Morocco, Spain, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, including visiting professorships at Universitat Pompeu Fabra and CRM Barcelona. He has received competitive grants and fellowships from DAAD, DFG, TWAS, and other international agencies. His research focuses on vector optimization and computational mathematics, with applications in image processing, nanocomposites, and fluid dynamics. With over 40 Scopus-indexed publications since 2020, including numerous Q1 and Q2 journals, he has also supervised Ph.D. and Master theses, served on international doctoral committees, and delivered keynote talks at major conferences. His academic service includes curriculum development, ABET accreditation, and organizing scientific events. In 2023–2024, he was recognized as Best Researcher of the Year.