Schneider aims to power digital future

Dubai:

The potential of the internet-related technologies or internet of things (IoT) has not been fully utilised yet and the future will be more digitised, more de-carbonised and more automated, said the chief executive of Schneider Electric.

“Energy is a fundamental human right and there are around two billion people without electricity. We need to become more efficient in energy production and use to achieve this goal. So, increased adoption of technology will be a key to achieve this goal,” Jean-Pascal Tricoire, CEO of the French developer of products and solutions for the power sector, told Gulf News after opening its EcoStruxure on Wheels, a mobile innovation hub, at Dubai Silicon Oasis on Sunday.

EcoStruxure is an IoT-enabled open and interoperable system architecture for four key vertical markets — building, data centre, industry and grid.

 We have been investing regularly here for the past 30 years. Dubai has become one of the four international hubs for Schiender after Paris, Boston and Hong Kong.”

 - Jean-Pascal Tricoire | CEO, Schneider Electric 

The hub was inaugurated by Mohammad Al Zarouni, vice-chairman and CEO of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority.

He said more than 66 French companies have chosen DSO as their choice for Mideast operations. Schneider Electric was the first French business partner at Dubai Silicon Oasis in 2008.

Schneider’s systems range from smart homes to smart buildings, to transportation management systems, and to larger projects such as airports and oil refineries.

In reality, Tricoire said, EcoStruxure enables its partners and customers to develop scalable and converged solutions.

“We have leveraged advancements in IoT, cloud, analytics and cybersecurity to deliver innovation at every level from inter-connected products to real-time monitoring of applications, analytics and services,” he said, claiming that Schneider had the first line-up of inter-connected products 20 years ago.

Currently, he said that 50 per cent of its turnover is from connected products to the cloud or software.

“The internet of things is touching all the markets, including industries, buildings, IT and infrastructure. IoT helps understand what is happening behind the scenes after receiving data from buildings or factories and, at the same time, offers employees more safety, productivity and capability,” he said.

Tricoire sees the return on investment in IoT-related systems to be much faster than the traditional method.

Moreover, he said that Dubai is at the centre of the fast-growing part of its Middle East and Africa business. “For us, Dubai has been a long story and we have been investing regularly here for the past 30 years. Dubai has become one of the four international hubs for Schiender after Paris, Boston and Hong Kong,” he said, adding that the mobile innovation hub will be touring other Gulf states to demonstrate its innovative solutions.

In line with its global strategy to make energy safe, reliable and efficient, Schneider’s goal is to take a collaborative approach in delivering urban efficiency and support the whole region to make the most of their energy.

With energy consumption set to double, he sees the need to halve carbon emissions.

“So, it all going to be about automation, digitisation and putting sensors into as many things as possible to make it energy more efficient. The deployment of IoT will be faster in the next five years,” he said.