Cyril Perducat of Schneider Electric Looks at Digital Transformation through Collaboration

IoT Evolution Expo 2020 is coming up fast, and we interviewed several of our speakers to get a bit of a preview of what to expect from their sessions.

Here, we spoke to Keynoter Cyril Perducat, EVP of IoT and Digital Offers Schneider Electric. Cyril is a native of France with a background in engineering and international project management. He joined Schneider Electric in 1994 and since then, he has held a number of roles across a broad area of the business, including marketing, manufacturing, supply chain, business development and acquisitions and alliances. A widely respected business leader, Cyril is also the current president of ODVA Inc., the international organization that supports the development of open network technologies based on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP).

At IoT Evolution Expo 2020, which is taking place February 11 to 14 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, his keynote “Transforming Industry with Digital Services: A Collaborative Industrial IoT Approach” will examine how embracing digital innovation requires a major mind shift – with a customer-centric approach at the forefront. The reality is, in today’s fast-paced digital economy, no single company can tackle business’ most pressing challenges alone. This is why experts and innovators should work together to drive fast, scalable, secure and valuable digital innovation and innovation. This session will outline Schneider Electric’s open, collaborative Exchange platform, which connects technical resources and tools, communities of experts, and a digital marketplace to create, collaborate, and scale business-relevant digital solutions, software, and services.

To hear his talk, click here to register.

Here is a little preview of his thoughts:

IoT Evolution: What are some key ideas you plan to cover in your session?

Cyril Perducat: The keynote session will discuss how embracing digital innovation requires a major mind shift and how long-standing companies, including Schneider Electric, can remain competitive in the digital economy. The session will outline the open and collaborative business platform, Schneider Electric Exchange, as the way in which experts and innovators - from startups to enterprises to data scientists - can work together to drive fast, scalable, secure, and valuable digital solutions to solve efficiency and sustainability challenges.

IoTE: What insights do you hope attendees will take home?

CP: I hope attendees leave with a better understanding that, in the rapid transition to the digital economy, no single company can solve the most pressing problems alone – especially when it comes to balancing energy efficiency and productivity. A collaborative approach is the way to break down silos and blur traditional industry lines to achieve the most efficient and scalable results.

IoTE: Can you identify a few important trends influencing your sector of the IoT which will shape the path of the industry? Why these?

CP: We can expect a leap toward the data economy, building on data-as-a-service business models. This means looking at data not just as byproduct of IoT/connected assets but as a product itself. Data will act as a way to add value, ultimately leading to new business models such as “uptime as a service” and more.

IoTE: What are the biggest challenges facing the IoT right now? What are some strategies you recommend to overcome those challenges?

CP: We’re seeing a major shift across industries from focusing on product-centric business models towards building new models based on data. That said, companies are questioning how to create competitive new digital business models – the answer to this lies with digital innovation itself. An important piece to this challenge is the idea that companies need to embrace the collaborative ecosystem approach in order to solve today’s efficiency and productivity problems quickly.

IoTE: Which vertical markets have the most to gain from IoT implementation?

CP: We are still discovering the true potential of IoT as it continues to evolve and grow. The industrial IoT is taking hold, with opportunities for predictive maintenance applications, process efficiency, and energy efficiency. There is an increased pressure for companies to balance process and energy efficiency (and reduce their carbon footprint. From interactions with sensors for temperature control and actuators for HVAC controls, to real-time communications and using weather forecasts to save energy costs, IoT can bring about this much-needed balance especially as companies are managing market and energy constraints.

IoTE: What sessions are you most looking forward to attending at the Expo? Why?

CP: I’m interested in hearing more about the intelligent edge of smart cities during Tuesday’s panel session. IoT plays such a pivotal role in shaping our strategy towards an ecosystem that enables productivity – whether it be an office building, a hospital, or a university. I’m interested in hearing more from these panelists on the need for a balance between the edge and the cloud.

Register now for the IoT Evolution Expo and Get 20% off your full conference with code IoTTime and be there for all the information you need to drive your IoT strategy in 2020.