Cairo – November 1st , 2020: Schneider Electric, the leading company in the field of energy management and automation, hosted Schneider Electric Digital MEA Innovation Summit, which was held virtually for the first time. The summit saw the participation of Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric; Mr. Caspar Herzberg, President of Schneider Electric Middle East & Africa, as well as a number of Schneider Electric's top leaders, representatives of major companies operating in the Middle East and Africa region, and representatives of the media. 

During the summit, Schneider Electric emphasized the role of technology in providing the necessary tools for organizations to improve their resilience and boost their competencies and capabilities, in addition to enabling them to complete and manage their works remotely. The four positive outcomes of the digital transformation were also highlighted, namely strengthening the capabilities of controlling and working remotely, as well as improving flexibility and efficiency, and ensuring sustainability. These four elements provide companies that focus on developing and adopting digital technology, a base from which to start to enhance growth and ensure its continuity during crises.

Mr Herzberg moderated a discussion panel discussion on business continuity, during which he hosted Hassan Jassim Al Nowais, senior vice president of Mubadala Healthcare, and Eng. Sherine Morsi, Director of Engineering and Projects at a major international hotel in Egypt. Other panel were also held to tackle topics including the buildings of the future, leadership in digitization, business sustainability, and new technological transformations in the world of electricity.

Eng. Walid Sheta, Regional Cluster President of Egypt, North East Africa and Levant said: “The spread of the coronavirus has led to radical transformation across all sectors and business processes, which highlighted the importance of the vital elements of efficiency and resilience in advancing business levels and ensuring its continuity. This has prompted organizations to adopt best-in-class strategies that target cost reduction and enhancing the ability to meet customer needs in a quicker and improved manner, through digital transformation that has been clearly present in the business scene over the past decades”.

Eng. Sheta added: "The organizations that pioneered in the field of digital transformation have proven that they are able to significantly consolidate the position of their business compared to conventional companies that have not adopted this innovative approach. Furthermore, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process of digital transformation, as organizations that invested in digitization have capitalized on the advantages provided by such an advanced technology, through improved flexibility and efficiency, as well as ensuring sustainability with the ability to accomplish work remotely".

He further confirmed: “Digital transformation has contributed to adapting to the new situation and helped maintain business continuity, which was evident in four basic outcomes cited by Schneider Electric. They include the completion of all tasks remotely, and the empowerment of organizations to manage off-site operations, as remote communication and monitoring provide organizations with the ability to ensure continuity of business while preserving employee safety. This is in addition to ensuring resilience during crises, as the availability of remote work technologies enables the monitoring and supervision of business on an ongoing basis through automation solutions, besides providing the ability to address problems and challenges automatically without human intervention. Furthermore, the shift to digital transformation enhances efficiency, reduces costs, speeds up response to customer needs, and reduces downtime. It also increases productivity by 20%, as well as enhances sustainability by improving operations and aligning them to international best practices”. 

During the Digital MEA Innovation Summit, Schneider Electric outlined the key role that digitization, innovation, energy management and automation play in the industrial field and how they contribute to reducing carbon emissions to curb global warming. Schneider also showcased its latest products that comprise a package of smart solutions and technological platforms for various sectors of energy management, industrial control, and engineering services that rely on IoT technology and information management. These products include new versions of Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure™, as well as EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert, EcoStruxure™ Power and Process, EcoStruxure™ Plant Advisor, which represent the latest development in Industrial IoT (IIOT) software, at a 3D HD Innovation Hub, launched by the company via the website:Innovation summit