I am an Associate Professor  (Profesor Titular de Universidad) of Computational Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Center for Intelligent Information Technologies and their Applications (CETINIA),  University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. 

My academic background combines engineering and management science. I obtained a Diploma in Industrial Engineering, specializing in Automation and Robotics, from the University of Zagreb (Croatia), followed by a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Management Engineering (Operations Research) from the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy). I have had the opportunity to work in different academic environments, including a Postdoctoral and a Distinguished Researcher Lecturer position in the Artificial Intelligence Group at the University Rey Juan Carlos (Spain), and a permanent Associate Professor position at IMT Nord Europe, University of Lille (France).

My research focuses at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Combinatorial Optimization, with a special focus on distributed and decentralized coordination and decision-making. It is grounded in agent-based and multi-agent systems, where autonomous entities interact to achieve both individual and collective objectives. These approaches are particularly relevant for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), which comprise networks of interconnected devices such as robots, sensors, and vehicles operating in dynamic and uncertain environments. In such systems, software agents coordinate their actions through local interactions and information exchange over wireless networks and the Internet, without relying on centralized control or shared memory.  

As a result, distributed, agentic architectures are increasingly emerging as a core paradigm in modern digital infrastructures, enabling systems that are more robust, scalable, and adaptable to change. Over time, they are expected to support the development of more sustainable and scalable designs for large and complex systems, particularly in settings where components are owned and managed by multiple stakeholders with potentially differing objectives. 

For more details, please visit my Research section. 

A central motivation of my work is to contribute to addressing societal challenges, including smart and sustainable transportation, emergency management, and multi-robot coordination.

My research contributions include over 45 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection, appearing in more than 20 international journals such as AI Communications (IOS Press), Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence (Springer), Applied Sciences (MDPI), Computer Science and Information Systems (ComSIS), Computers and Industrial Engineering (Elsevier), Computers and Operations Research (Elsevier), Complexity (Wiley/Hindawi), Electronics (MDPI), Expert Systems with Applications (Elsevier), Future Generation Computer Systems (Elsevier), Information Systems (Elsevier), Information Systems Frontiers (Springer), Intelligent Systems (IEEE), Knowledge-Based Systems (Elsevier), Neurocomputing (Elsevier), and Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (Elsevier). In addition, this work has led to a patent in fleet coordination. My contributions to the academic community also include service as Associate Editor for two journals and participation as a reviewer for more than 20 journals and over 100 international conferences.

For collaboration, please, contact me via e-mail: marin dot lujak at urjc dot es . I will be glad to speak with you in any of the following languages with related proficiencies: English—C2 (mastery), Spanish—C2 (mastery), Italian—C2 (mastery), French—B2 (upper-intermediate), and Croatian (mother tongue).

Note to prospective students: If you are interested in and highly motivated about preparing a PhD thesis or a Master's thesis or if you are looking for a mentor in one of the topics mentioned above and you think you have the required background, abilities, energy, and drive, please do not hesitate to contact me.