Ian Varela Soares

About

Ian Varela Soares is a Postdoctoral Researcher at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), specializing in the intersection between digitalization and energy. He holds an LLM with a focus on energy contracts and a Ph.D. in Public Policy focusing on cloud computing emissions from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Before joining KAPSARC, he worked in software development in the technology sector in Hong Kong and as a consultant for carbon credits. His contributions concentrate on analysis of the cloud computing footprint, the economic and environmental impact of telecommunications, and the development of software analytics. His major research interests are in Greentech economics and policy: the footprint and economic costs of cloud computing, AI, and blockchain physical infrastructure, with a particular focus on techno-economic assessment of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.