Grid Asset Management event to help firms use data-driven methods
As digitalisation becomes paramount for companies looking to make the most of their investment strategies in all sectors, smart asset management presents a major opportunity to professionals across the business spectrum. A new event hosted in London is looking to help smart-grid asset management professionals meet the needs of a changing energy industry with digital asset management.
Smart Grid Forums is an organisation which works closely with the professional services sector to create innovative events and high-quality programmes that inform decision makers on the latest industry developments. The organisation regularly collaborates with experts and innovators to stay one step ahead of industry developments, and put on conferences which provide a platform for new ideas, new directions, and new best practices.
In September 2018, this saw the organisation host the fourth incarnation of its annual Grid Analytics Europe event. During the event, nearly 150 professionals in the utility sector convened in London for a review of the latest developments in big data management, analytics and visualisation approaches, which will ultimately power the future of smart utilities. Following that successful outing, Smart Grid Forums has announced it will launch a new event focusing on the asset management sector.
The first annual Grid Asset Management event is due to take place between the 14-16th of May 2019 at the Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge, London. The conference will bring together leaders and experts from across Europe in order to benchmark their digitalisation roadmaps. The event will also feature practical case studies on next-generation technology that optimises investment plans, streamlines asset management processes and closely monitors asset health.
With digital transformations for business operations increasingly seen as essential to the future prosperity of companies across multiple sectors, eight in every ten asset management firms are prioritising their digital transformation, with 61% stating that they are “getting organised”. However, a recent survey from Alpha FMC found that nearly a quarter still feel that their digital maturity is “frustratingly fragmented” and that they are beginning to lag behind other organisations.
The implementation focused Grid Asset Management conference will subsequently look to provide smart-grid asset management professionals with the tools and knowledge to meet the needs of the energy transition with advanced, digital asset management. Event highlights will include a case-study driven conference programme, technology innovation panel discussions, live demonstrations of the latest tools and technologies, roundtable breakout sessions, and a networking evening reception, among other activities.
An array of experts from the professional services world will be speaking at the conference. The third day of the event will be chaired by Olivier Lacroix, a Partner at renewables firm ENEA Consulting. Other members of the consulting industry taking to the stage will include IBM Executive Partner Paul Davis and Watson IoT & Industry 4.0 Practice Leader Christian Ahn Albertsen, as well as Boston Consulting Group Asset Management 4.0 Global Topic Leader Alfonso Abella and Global Expert Santiago Gallego. The duo from BCG will speak on the topic of evaluating next-generation asset management which supports energy transition and manages rising lifecycle costs.
Commenting on the upcoming event, conference producer Louis Morgan said, "It is more essential than ever for asset managers to make the right investment decisions, but increasingly, traditional approaches are proving not fit-for-purpose. Digital methods must be deployed by smart grid asset managers to support decision-making, optimise investment budgets and increase the utilisation of assets.”
Related: Transactions in power & utilities moving to renewables.