Dr. Maria Kottari is an energy transition and sustainability specialist with over 15 years of experience shaping climate-resilient, people-centred futures. She holds a PhD in International, European, and Regional Studies and has worked at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), bridging energy transition, public funding, and innovation.

Maria has held senior consultancy roles at Technopolis Group and Ecorys, leading international projects on sustainable energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy efficiency, and innovative financing, collaborating with governments, international organisations, donors, and the private sector.

She also has a strong academic background, having been a Researcher & Teaching Associate at the European University Institute (EUI) and currently serving as a visiting Lecturer at the University of Amsterdam.

Through her initiative, the Energy Matrix, she advises public institutions, international organizations, NGOs, and social enterprises—including the European Commission, the European Cooperarion in Science & Technology (COST) and the United Nations—on policies that drive sustainable, inclusive change, covering green & blue economy, circular economy, sustainable finance, clean tech, innovation, and just transition principles.

Based in Amsterdam, Maria works across the EU27, EEA, Canada, MENA, the Balkans, South Caucasus, South-East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is skilled in project management, stakeholder engagement, evaluation, research, capacity building, and evidence-based policy design, and communicates in six languages (EL, EN, FR, DE, NL, AR).