Position: Department Manager.
Organization: Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar.
Country: Croatia.
About: Matija Vajdić is the Head of the Department for Renewable Energy Sources and Environmental Protection at the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar (EIHP). He has more than 17 years of professional experience in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate policy, and sustainable development. He graduated in Electrical Engineering from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing and completed an MBA in Energy Economics. During his career, he worked at UNDP, at the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg Central Europe Programme in Vienna, and at EIHP, where he held the positions of Senior Researcher and Head of International Programmes. He has participated in numerous international projects funded by Horizon Europe, LIFE, I3, Interreg, and EEA Grants, and has cooperated with institutions such as CINEA, GIZ, JICA, and UNECE. His work also includes cooperation with numerous private investors in the renewable energy sector in Southeast Europe, as well as the coordination of EIHP’s strategic projects in renewable energy and environmental protection, including the transposition of EU directives and the preparation of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). From 2020 to 2024, he was a member of the Commission for the Popularization of Science at the Ministry of Science and Education, and he is also an expert evaluator with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). He is the author and co-author of several professional and scientific publications.
Session: Enhancing the Food-Water-Energy Nexus: Insights from Experience and Forward Strategies.
Sub-session: Session IV: Policy Dialogue and Forward Strategy.
Presentation title: Financing the Food-Water-Energy Nexus: Lessons from EEA and Norway Grant-Funded Projects.