In the Spotlight – Meet Lola Botman

In the Spotlight - Meet Lola Botman

Women in AI and the passion that drives us is all about empowering women and inspiring the next generation to explore what difference they can make. Our In the Spotlight series sets the focus on trailblazing women who are shaping the world of AI.

We’re thrilled to introduce Lola Botman, a remarkable researcher whose work is transforming energy forecasting and contributing to a sustainable future for all.

Author: Bianca Dybala.

From ICT Consulting to AI Research Excellence

Lola Botman’s journey into AI began with her impressive career of 6 years, where she bridged the worlds of consulting and academic research.

During her time as a business analyst and project manager, she spearheaded ICT projects for public sector clients, including the City of Brussels and Belgium’s railway network manager. Beyond delivering successful projects, Lola demonstrated her commitment to social impact by founding “DiversiTeam,” an initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in her workplace.

Today, Lola is at the forefront of energy forecasting research, focusing on time series analysis in her postdoctoral work at KU Leuven. Building on a PhD in AI and Energy earned in February 2024, her research tackles some of the most pressing challenges in the global energy transition.

Revolutionizing Energy Forecasting

Lola’s work centers on improving the accuracy and efficiency of energy forecasts, a rather critical component in managing the growing demands on our electricity grids. She has made significant advancements in three key areas, namely:

Long-term Household Electricity Forecasting
Lola developed a novel method that improves forecast accuracy by 2% while cutting runtime by over 50%. These enhancements are invaluable for energy suppliers like E.ON, enabling them to optimize resource allocation and planning.
Short-term Consumption Forecasts
By incorporating probabilistic forecasts, Lola’s methodology addresses timing errors in peak predictions. This adaptability is particularly beneficial for managing sudden changes, such as new household occupants or holidays.
Energy-Saving Smart Plug Scheduling
Leveraging AI to detect idle versus active plug states, Lola created a pipeline that schedules plug usage efficiently, resulting in up to 20% energy savings.

Lola’s commitment to transparency is evident in her open sharing of code and data, ensuring her work benefits both researchers and industry professionals alike.

Impact Beyond the Laboratory

Lola’s influence extends far beyond her technical achievements. In Belgium, she collaborates with organizations like VITO and Fluvius to strengthen the low-voltage grid using smart meter data. Meanwhile, her work at the University of California, San Diego leverages smart plug data to enhance building energy efficiency. These partnerships bridge the gap between academic research and real-world applications, ensuring her innovations deliver tangible benefits.

Her contributions have been recognized internationally, revolutionizing the industries they impact directly.

Alongside these achievements Lola has also authored three peer-reviewed publications, contributed to three additional papers, and presented at prestigious conferences like ERNSI 2020 and IEEE Grid Edge 2023.

Moreover, her skill in research communication has earned her finalist positions in competitions such as KU Leuven’s 3MT and IEEE PES Grid Edge Dissertation Challenge.

Mentorship and Community Building

As driven as she is by excelling and making a renowned name for herself, Lola is equally passionate about empowering others. She has mentored eight master’s thesis students, all of whom successfully defended their work, with one receiving the best student award at ISF 2024.

By sharing her knowledge and championing collaboration, she is helping to build a more inclusive and innovative AI community which is evident in all her accolades.

Shaping the Future of AI in Energy

Looking ahead at a future forecast, Lola is focused on translating her research into real-world impact. She is developing a framework to measure how improved forecasting accuracy leads to tangible outcomes, such as energy savings and financial stability.

Her holistic approach ensures that advancements in AI don’t just stay on paper but create meaningful change in our energy systems.

All in all, work such as Lola Botman’s exemplifies the power of AI to address global challenges and how it can truly be used to make an impact globally. At Women in AI, we celebrate her achievements and hope her story inspires more women and girls to pursue careers in STEM.

Celebrate Women Shaping the Future of AI at the Women in AI Gala

Upon hearing more about Lola, it is evident why she has become a part of the Top 3 Nominees of AI Sustainability Leader of the WAI Benelux Awards. The WAI Awards celebrate incredible women who are making waves in the world of AI, allowing their work to lead the way.

Join us on February 7th 2025 at the Women in AI Gala, where our awards will be officially presented as we celebrate all these remarkable women forging the path. As previously done so at 2024’s gala, we will celebrate the outstanding women in AI across the various categories who are making a significant impact across the Benelux region. See you then!