"Mission 2030" - Challenges and opportunities for the energy market 

A further confirmation of our theses: The three "D"s Digitalization, Decarbonization and Decentralization are set by the ambitious Climate and Energy Strategy for Austria. This inevitably leads to new challenges and opportunities for utilities in order to achieve these ambitious targets:

• New technologies (Smart Meter, Big Data, AI, Blockchain, VR etc.) are necessary for further interconnecting and accelerating of increasingly decentralized business processes.
• The electrification of transport and the thermal energy market offers utlities a multitude of opportunities in addition to pure energy supply.
• From ‘consumer to prosumer’ leads to a wide range of new and more complex customer needs beyond the mere supply of energy.
• And the increased volatility in the grid requires smart solutions for flexibility through demand side management and sector coupling (power-to-heat, power-to-gas, etc.).

Highlight: (Hybrid-)electrification of air traffic

The lecture on "Aircraft - Hybrid-electric propulsion systems for a more sustainable aerospace future and new mobility concepts" was of particular interest. A central turbine generates electricity for a large number of distributed small electric motors with advantages in efficiency and noise levels. Above all, the short-term sale – two weeks in advance of the conference – of the Siemens eAircraft division to Rolls Royce, the leading engine manufacturer in aviation, underlines the future potential.

In summary, an interesting day that highlights the need for digital as well as intersectoral business networking. The summary of accilium's theses and services for the energy sector will follow here within the next days.