EUROPA FORUM LECH— Energy meets Digital
16-17 April 2015
Wednesday 15 April
20.00 Opportunity for early arrivals to get together for an informal dinner and exchange of ideas with
Commissioner Oettinger. Venue Hûs Nr. 8, Omesberg 8, Lech am Vorarlberg
Thursday 16 April
12.30 – 13.30
Light buffet at Hotel Gasthof Post, Dorf 11, Lech am Vorarlberg
13.30 – 14.00
Welcome and opening remarks
Ludwig Muxel (Mayor of Lech), Karlheinz Rüdisser (Landesstatthalter of Vorarlberg), Günther Oettinger
(European Commissioner for Digital Economy & Society)
14.00 – 16.00
European Smart Cities: the power of data and city platforms in launching innovative services
All networks meet in the city. Bringing the energy and the digital revolutions to cities can improve the lives
of millions. Reconfiguring core networks and grids has the potential to unlock market demand for a
budding digital industry and so promote innovative energy services and new mobility technologies. There
is still a need to ensure that data transferred over city platforms are secure and the platforms are based
on open standards to facilitate investments in new services.
Moderator: Paul Timmers, DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
Impulse statements:
Francesco Profumo, IREN Group SpA
Patricia L. McCarney, World Council City Data
16.00 – 16:30
Joao Torres, EDSO for Smart Grids
Alberto Calcagno, Fastweb
Coffee break
16.30 – 18.30
Stimulating investment in energy and digital networks
This session will look at the EU measures to stimulate investment in energy and digital networks, in
particular the European Fund for Strategic Investment, prospects for regulatory action and synergies
between telecommunication and energy companies for New Generation Access (NGA) and the roll-out of
smart grids. It will discuss how private and public stakeholders can cooperate further to give businesses
and society the energy and digital networks of the 21st century.
Moderator: Roberto Viola, DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
Impulse statements:
Konstantin Staschus, ENTSO-E
Werner Schnappauf, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Vittorio Colao, Vodafone
Wilhelm Molterer, EIB
20.00 Cocktail at Hotel "Die Krone von Lech", Dorf 13, Lech am Arlberg
20.30 Dinner at Hotel "Die Krone von Lech"
Friday 17 April
10.00 – 12.00
Smart Grids: empowering consumers and improving efficiency
Smart Grids are the interface between the energy and data/communication sectors. Provided
interoperability and infrastructure investment are assured, productive interaction and cooperation
between energy companies and IT/telcos can create new benefits for consumers while increasing the
efficiency of energy systems. The European Fund for Strategic Investment provides new opportunities to
stimulate investment in smart grids and integrated infrastructure solutions based on them.
Moderator: Anne Houtman, DG Energy, European Commission
Impulse statements:
Matthias Bölke, Schneider Electric
Christian Buchel, ERDF
12.00 – 14.00
Ingo Kett, IBM Corporation
Simon Hill, OPower
Lunch at Hotel Gasthof Post, Dorf 11, Lech am Arlberg
14.00 – 16.00
Energy and Digital: pillars of EU Competitiveness
While Europe struggles to rekindle economic growth and create new jobs, a major improvement in
structural growth conditions in Europe could be brought by investment in the digital transformation of our
industrial fabric. Coupled with innovative technologies and solutions in energy production and supply, it
can help reduce the costs for European businesses, including energy-intensive ones. Moreover, bringing
information and energy technologies together in integrated responses to modern societal challenges, as is
done for example in smart cities, can create new business opportunities for innovative European
companies to go global. With special emphasis on energy-related issues, this session will discuss how to
maximize the positive impact of digital technologies on economic growth and job creation across the EU.
Moderator: Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for Digital Economy & Society
Impulse statements:
Harald Schwager, BASF
Andrzej Dycha, Ministry of Economy, Poland
Siegfried Wolf, Russian Machines LLC
Jean-Luc Beylat, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs
16.00 – 16.30
Closing remarks
Günther Oettinger (European Commissioner for Digital Economy & Society), Ludwig Muxel (Mayor of Lech)
16.30 Press conference
17.00 Cocktail at Hotel Gasthof Post, Dorf 11, Lech am Arlberg
18.00 Light dinner at Hotel Gasthof Post
Saturday 18 April
For those staying on, a leisure programme is arranged by the organisers
++ Conference venue: Hotel Gasthof Post, Dorf 11, A-6764 Lech am Arlberg ++