Mariana Vilaça

Mariana is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Heriot-Watt University, bringing expertise in sustainable transport systems and a background in agent-based modelling. During her PhD in Energy Systems and Climate Change, she developed MATSim-based models to investigate how deployment strategies and user behaviour in future mobility systems impact environmental outcomes.

Her research combines life cycle assessment (LCA), systems thinking, and equity-focused analysis to assess the impacts of emerging transport technologies such as electric, shared, and automated vehicles. She is committed to advancing human-centred, sustainable transport solutions.

On the DARe Hub, Mariana focuses on developing and applying a modelling framework to explore future freight transport scenarios aligned with net-zero and climate-resilient goals.

This includes examining how land use, infrastructure development, and behavioural changes evolve over time.

Key areas of exploration include:

• Integrating freight transport into an agent-based modelling framework to capture system-wide interactions and dynamics.
• Optimizing refuelling strategies—covering routing, infrastructure resilience, and different energy sources.
• Assessing the impacts of climate change on freight infrastructure and operational reliability.

The analysis will be grounded in real-world national scenarios, evaluating policy feedback, co-benefits, and trade-offs to support robust decision-making.