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Laboratory Introduction
The Future Energy and Carbon team at the School of Future Technology, Guangzhou International Campus of South China University of Technology focuses on interdisciplinary research areas such as low-carbon transportation, vehicle-to-grid interaction, intelligent electric charging, energy transition, and carbon emission reduction.
Among them, the Transportation Research & AI-driven New-Energy Sustainability (TRANS) Laboratory is dedicated to addressing critical national priorities, including energy security, decarbonization goals, and the transformation of the transportation industry. Leveraging methodologies such as big data analytics, operations research, and artificial intelligence (AI), the TRANS Lab integrates expertise across AI, engineering, decision science, and behavioral science. This interdisciplinary approach drives the development of innovative energy technologies and solutions that align with both national and global development objectives. The TRANS Lab maintains collaborations with multiple universities and institutions in Europe and North America, actively encouraging and supporting international exchanges and academic visits.
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About Prof. Shiqi (Shawn) Ou
Dr. Shiqi (Shawn) Ou is a professor at the School of Future Technology, South China University of Technology (SCUT), and a jointly appointed R&D staff at the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy (Pazhou) Laboratory. As a high-level overseas talent, Dr. Ou joined SCUT’s Guangzhou International Campus in 2023 after nearly eight years at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where he advanced to the position of R&D Staff.
During his tenure at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Dr. Ou led or participated in multiple energy system modeling projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation. He also served as the chief scientist for a $3.6 million project sponsored by Aramco Americas. In 2020, he was honored with the ORNL Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions.
Since returning to China and joining SCUT in 2023, Dr. Ou has taken on significant roles, including leading a National Natural Science Foundation of China funded talent project and $450,000 global transportation energy modeling and analysis project funded by Saudi Aramco. He has also been recognized as part of the 10th Pearl River Talent Plan Innovation and Entrepreneurship Team (ranked 2nd out of 6) and the 2023 Guangzhou Caiyuan Guangjin Team (ranked 2nd out of 4). Additionally, he is responsible for a subproject under the National Key R&D Program’s Intergovernmental Cooperation Project (ranked 2nd out of 4).
Dr. Ou has an impressive publication record, with nearly 50 SCI-indexed research articles in prestigious energy journals, including Nature Energy, Nature Communications, Applied Energy, Energy Policy, and eTransportation, where he has contributed as a first or corresponding author. Additionally, he has authored two academic book chapters, three peer-reviewed conference papers, and a DOE technical report, further showcasing his leadership in advancing knowledge in the field.
His academic achievements include the following aspects:
- Developed multiple publicly accessible and downloadable data models and analytical tools for forecasting and analyzing the diversification of automotive energy and power systems. These tools have been widely applied in government and industry settings. For instance, the MA3T model has been utilized by the U.S. Department of Energy for energy security and carbon emissions forecasting in the transportation sector. The HOP model has supported Chevron and Ford in designing hydrogen storage pressure levels for fuel cell vehicles. Meanwhile, the NEOCC model has been employed by Aramco’s U.S. division for transportation energy demand and carbon emission forecasting.
- Pioneered the development of a road energy demand forecasting model by integrating AI algorithms with mobile phone mobility data. This model, along with its associated algorithms, was recognized for its innovation in the transportation energy sector and featured as a cover story in Nature Energy.
- Conducted interdisciplinary research on optimizing transportation systems and advancing intelligent energy systems for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), addressing the challenges of comprehensive energy efficiency optimization across time and spatial dimensions in complex coupled systems. Building on this, a real-world conditions-based optimization algorithm for integrated energy management in PEVs was developed, significantly enhancing the computational efficiency and adaptability of complex energy management systems.
In addition, Dr. Ou holds several distinguished academic roles, including:
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder (2019-2023), and member of the Global CFA Examination Standards Review Committee (Year 2020, and Year 2021)
- Member of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Transportation Energy Committee (2020–Present)
- Chair of the TRB Subcommittee on International Aspects of Transportation Energy (2020–Present)
- Chair of the SAE Sustainable Development of Automotive Industry Committee (2022–Present)
- Editorial board member for Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment (2024–Present) and Transportation Research Record (TRR) (2023–Present)