We discussed digitalisation and the modernisation of energy infrastructure, software being developed by the company’s Serbian team in Novi Sad, the building of the future and many new solutions with Petr Hermann, president of the Schneider Electric cluster for Southeast Europe
Do you think we are lagging behind in terms of the digitalisation and modernisation of energy infrastructure?
― Serbia holds a special place within the Schneider Electric family, with a journey that’s lasted more than 20 years. Energy management and digitalisation are at the core of our business mission. Among our widely acclaimed software is ADMS, our comprehensive network management solution for grid optimisation. This software, which is developed by our Serbian team in Novi Sad, is currently also being implemented by the Serbian utility company.
We actually recently finalised a contract for the modernisation and automation of Serbia’s electricity distribution network, marking an important milestone. This ambitious initiative aims to greatly improve the reliability of supplies of electricity to customers, while simultaneously reducing power outages and enabling reductions in power lossess. We will be implementing this comprehensive solution over the next four years, coupled with advanced network automation equipment, leading to a significant boost in performance. Following the implementation of this project, the Serbian power distribution network will be among the most advanced in Europe.
Your premises in Novi Sad represent the building of the future?
― Our building, which was recently awarded the prestigious Platinum LEED certification, serves as a concrete example of what we are offering our customers and sets high standards for green construction in the country. It is noteworthy that this is not a greenfield investment, but rather a reconstruction project. This also proves that we can use technology that already exists today in order to significantly improve current facilities and achieve energy savings. However, in order to do so we need to implement several sustainable practices, such as the utilisation of renewables, the automation of building operations, shifting to electric vehicle fleets and much more.
Since its opening, our building, as well as our “Innovation Hub” showroom, has also been serving to showcase our capabilities in energy management and automation. It is open to our customers from across the region.
What makes our region so appealing to technology companies?
― This region boasts a highly-skilled workforce with a strong background in technical and engineering fields, providing a valuable pool of talent for research and development initiatives. Additionally, the region’s strategic location enables efficient global operations and access to diverse markets. Moreover, we see ever-more ongoing efforts to enhance infrastructure, while companies in this part of the world are also starting to move towards more efficient, digitalised amd sustainable operations, and Schneider Electric is here to help.
As a result, we have made significant investments in the region, both in growing our commercial teams and extending our production capabilities in Bulgaria and Hungary, and even in opening a new production unit this year. Our footprint in the region also includes a regional logistics centre, global sustainability services and a global procurement hub in Hungary, as well as a regional customer care centre in Romania.
In Serbia, we’ve recognised the exceptional IT talent and our already strong software development team is being further extended to become a strategic hub of global sofware R&D for Schneider Electric.