Schneider Electric kicks off its Innovation Summit World Tour 2020 with call to embrace digital technologies for a more resilient and sustainable future

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today kicked off its Innovation Summit World Tour 2020, a major virtual event series from October 8 to November 26, that connects thought leaders, visionaries, experts, change makers, partners and customers globally to discover the latest digital solutions for a more resilient and sustainable future.

Schneider’s flagship annual Innovation Summits are now in their fifth year. This year’s iteration is the first to take place purely online, with ten regional – and interactive -- events to follow over the coming eight weeks. These will give attendees from around the globe the chance to learn more about the critical role that electrification, digitization, innovation, energy management and industrial automation can play in the transition towards a lower-carbon world to limit climate change to 1.5 °C.

In his virtual keynote address, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Schneider Electric’s Chairman and CEO, urged attendees to accelerate their digital transformation to better position themselves for the upheaval caused by both the climate crisis and the global pandemic that has swept the world in 2020. “Across the globe, in just a few months, our lives have changed – and digitalization has helped us to adapt to the new normal. Digitized remote operations can maintain business continuity, strengthen resiliency, and offer insights to better anticipate and adapt with agility. Digital innovation and connectivity have changed how we work and live together, and can positively change our impact on the environment, and drive economic recovery and sustainability for us all.”

Throughout the event series, Schneider Electric is unveiling new offerings for customers and partners, including:

• A new range of low-voltage switchboards, PrismaSeT™ Active, and a new generation of breakers, ComPacT™, to be released in 2021, that unlock crucial information related to electrical fire risk and power availability within the electrical systems of buildings. The cloud-connectivity of PrismaSeT Active allows users to continuously monitor power distribution and receive notifications in case of hazardous power losses. The new generation of ComPacT takes power availability to the next level with major ergonomic improvements, as well as connectivity-ready and modular plug-and-play accessories to expand the capacity for advanced monitoring capabilities.
• An innovative green switchgear, SM AirSeT™, which uses an ingenious combination of air and vacuum technology instead of SF6, a greenhouse gas commonly contained in electrical equipment used to power the grid and industrial electrical installations. The new technology offers a pathway to avoid the equivalence of millions of tons of CO2 in energy networks. Its extensive IoT connectivity also unlocks the benefits of data and analytics for network management and optimization.
• A new category of automation, EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert, the world’s first software-centric industrial automation system creating step-change improvements throughout the complete operational lifecycle.

This year’s Innovation Summit features high-level conversations between Schneider Electric’s top executives and leaders from AECOM, a leading infrastructure consulting firm; GlaxoSmithKline, the global healthcare company; RIB Software, a pioneer in the construction industry; and AVEVA, global leader in engineering and industrial software.

There will also be interactive panel discussions with representatives from: JPMorgan Chase & Co, a financial services firm; McDonalds, the food services retailer; Danone, the global food company; JLL, the real estate and investment firm; Acciona, a provider of infrastructure and renewable energy projects; Enedis, the French electricity grid operator; Suez, an environmental services provider; and the global design, engineering and architecture consultancy Arup.

Summit attendees will be able to visit a virtual Innovation Hub, where they can experience, in 3D, Schneider and its technology partners’ innovations and connect live to Schneider’s labs, showrooms and manufacturing facilities around the world, to chat with experts and see hands-on demos.

In addition to the global kick-off event on October 8, regional Innovation Summit events, including additional content based for local geographies are scheduled throughout October and November. These include the Pacific region covering Australia and New Zealand (October 14); the Middle East and Africa (October 28); East Asia (November 4); Korea (November 5); North America (November 10); South America (November 12); Turkey (November 17); France (November 19); UK and Ireland (November 24) and Hong Kong (November 26).