As the central system operator in the Norwegian energy system, Statnett is an important stakeholder of EURAMET’s European Metrology Network for Smart Electricity Grids. Statnett coordinates the production & consumption of electricity and develops electricity grids all across Norway – in addition to overseeing the power line connections from Norway to Sweden, Finland, Russia, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Sonja Berlijn is the Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Statnett – a position that she has held since 2014. She has vast documented experience in project management, research & development, quality assurance, teaching and leadership. To present an accurate view of Sonja’s expansive academic background in engineering and project management, she has studied electrotechnical engineering to PhD level in Austria and also obtained an MBA from the University of Melbourne. During her time at university, Sonja additionally worked in a couple of European high voltage laboratories; from managing the research & development at a laboratory in the Netherlands, to undertaking various management and specialist engineer roles at a testing laboratory in Sweden.
In 2008, she moved to Statnett, where she has continually played a significant role in coordinating the advancement of Norway’s energy system as the Research & Development Senior VP. In 2014, Sonja joined also the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in Oslo, Norway as a Professor of Digital Power Systems; where she supervised several students and presented sessions at international forums. As well as her position for Statnett and NMBU, Sonja is presently the Chair of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity - the Research, Development & Innovation Planning Committee. Furthermore, she is an active member of the Norwegian Smart Grid Centre, Energi21 (a strategic research board of the Norwegian government) sustainable power laboratory at the Royal Technical University in Stockholm and the Nordic Transmission System Operators R&D group.
