Robin Roche

Robin Roche

Designing energy systems that last

Full Professor of Electrical Engineering
Université Marie et Louis Pasteur · IUT Nord Franche-Comté · FEMTO-ST
Belfort, France

I lead research on the design and control of renewable-based energy systems — from microgrids to island power systems — to make them more resilient, sustainable, and affordable. I combine systems thinking, optimization, interdisciplinary work, and real-world testing. I lead or contribute to national, European, and international research projects with academic and industrial partners. I am committed to open science, empowering people and communities through accessible energy, and translating academic research into practical, scalable solutions.

I teach at undergraduate and doctoral levels, emphasizing hands-on problem solving and critical thinking. I am also deeply committed to research-based training through Ph.D. supervision, which I see as one of the most impactful ways to develop future experts capable of tackling complex, real-world energy challenges.

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15+
Years in research
15+
Ph.D.s supervised
15+
Projects completed
100+
Publications of all types
1000+
Students trained

Research interests

Microgrid design & operation

Sizing, energy management and control of isolated and grid-connected microgrids, from buildings to tropical islands.

Hydrogen production systems

Grid integration, degradation modeling and control of electrolyzers and electrolysis plants powered by renewable energy systems.

Resilience under uncertainty

Robust design and operation of energy systems facing climate change, component ageing, and other disruptions.

Maintainability and repairability

Redesign of power generation, storage and distribution equipment and installations for maintainability and repairability by users.

Optimization & AI for energy

Mathematical programming, machine learning and multi-agent systems applied to energy system planning and real-time control.

Featured work

Project
REGEN-ILE — Design of cyclone-proof, low tech, repairable, PV-based microgrids for residential users and public services, for use in the South-West Indian Ocean. Funded by CNRS MITI.
Project
GENIAL — Digital twin of islanded microgrids with battery and hydrogen storage, focusing on optimal energy management under component degradation. Funded by ANR.
Project
HyLES — Coordination of an interdisciplinary study of hydrogen's roles by 2030 and 2050 in French islands: Corsica, La Réunion, French Polynesia. Funded by ANR.
Project
RECIF — PV-based islanded microgrid with electricity and cold cogeneration through multiple energy storage technologies for tropical islands. Demonstrator in French Polynesia. Funded by ANR.
Management
Director of FEMTO-ST's Energy department — Coordinating the scientific strategy, resources, accreditation, communication for 120+ researchers and staff since 2022, for a mandate of 5 years.
Management
General chair of SGE 2027 — Coordinating a team of about 20 people organising the 2027 edition of the largest French electrical engineering conference, with about 500 participants in Belfort.
Education
FutureLab camp — Co-organised a blended intensive programme with students from all 9 university partners of the STARS EU alliance. Hackaton-style group work on challenges from stakeholders.
Education
Mastère Spécialisé in hydrogen — Founded and co-lead France's first one-year, CGE-accredited programme on hydrogen technologies and applications at UTBM in close collaboration with industry.

Let's work together

Industry partners: projects

I build collaborative research projects with French and international companies: CIFRE, ANR, Horizon Europe, etc.

Industry partners: expertise

I provide consulting services and custom training courses on my topics of expertise.

Industy partners: hiring

Our GEII students look for internships and apprentices. Our Ph.D. graduates look for jobs.

Prospective faculty

We frequently have open associate professor positions. The French faculty recruitment process applies.

Prospective Ph.D. students

I offer positions depending on funded projects. Positions are posted on LinkedIn, usually in spring.

Prospective interns

We frequently offer research internships. Positions are posted on LinkedIn, usually in autumn.

Note to prospective Ph.D. students and interns: while I strive to respond to each application individually, the high volume of submissions and limited time available unfortunately make this impossible. Please consider that if you have not received a response within three weeks of submitting your application, it has not been selected. Thank you for your understanding.