Entrepreneurship in the power and energy area: a vision for the future at PowerTech 2019

Almost 1,000 attendees gathered from around the world at this conference in Milan, Italy, from 23 to 27 June 2019, to discuss recent advancement and new ideas in the area of power and energy. The main goal has been to lead innovation in the industry through theoretical research and novel applications. This conference is in fact the premier technical meeting of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) in Europe, specifically focusing on industry innovation, attracting the attention of academia, industry, professionals, government agencies, and students. The event has been organized by Politecnico di Milano with the support of several industries, pointing out the relevance and impact in the industry.

Within this stimulating environment, a plenary panel has been organized on entrepreneurship opportunities and technological trends in the power and energy sector. “Bridging the Gap: Electric Market Trends and Promising Technologies to Bet on in the Next Future” has been the focal point right after the opening ceremony, setting the stage for the entire conference. Panelists discussed first the role and the expectation of the general public from the energy sector in the coming decades as well as the support to industry operation, the daily life of citizens and their well-being, the smartness of cities, the society and the environment. The core of the presentations and discussions has been on the various technological aspects offered by the diversified sources of energy from the most traditional to the renewable ones. Finally, applications and smart use and management of energy have been addressed, as well as the related supporting technologies, like the information and communication technologies, encompassing Internet-of-Things, artificial intelligence, smart systems, intelligent measurement systems, intelligent control, and many more. These areas and trends are the ones in which entrepreneurs, especially the youngest ones, as well as the industry should point for investing in innovation and creativity for a sustainable economic and social development.

This panel has been organized with the cooperation of the IEEE Entrepreneurship Committee and the Entrepreneurship Committee of the IEEE Italy Section.