Interview: Jan-Peter Schwartz from Siemens about the 'Road to Daegu'

The World Energy Congress is already providing a springboard for global businesses to engage with their customers and other key audiences. Jan-Peter Schwartz tells us how his company Siemens is using the Congress to spark dialogues and generate new ideas around the world.

What is Siemens doing in the run-up to the Congress?

Since the end of April, Siemens has been on the Road to Daegu heading for the 22nd World Energy Congress in South Korea. Together with leading energy experts – our customers, prominent policymakers, opinion leaders and scientists – our CEO Dr Michael Suess has been discussing the challenges and opportunities of energy systems in various countries and regions around the globe. He is supported by two bloggers who will spend six months travelling across six continents to report on exemplary projects defining local energy markets.

We started in Europe , with a stop in Russia and then moved via Africa to South America. At the moment, we are analysing and discussing the North American energy market. Our journey will then continue in via Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and finally to Daegu.

What are some of your key activities?
First and above all, our Round Table is travelling around the globe offering a platform for debating energy issues and networking. Under the theme “Connecting possibilities”, Michael Suess and his guests sit down to discuss regional challenges, identify synergies and develop solutions. The next destination for the Round Table will be the United States. We’re proud that our customer, Florida Power & Light, will be hosting our USA Round Table. Subsequent destinations will be in China and the Middle East, and the wrap-up discussion will take place on October 15 in Daegu – live from our Congress booth!

In addition, our two travelling bloggers are visiting and reporting on ground-breaking projects along the ‘Road to Daegu’, plus engaging various stakeholders in discussions.

What's the idea behind your ‘Road to Daegu’?

There is no “one solution fits all” answer to the diverse challenges facing a world transitioning to a new energy era. Combining our knowledge with that of experts in a global dialogue sets the course for the sustainable development of tomorrow’s energy systems. Our aim is to play an active role in sustainably integrating the various energy systems of our world into a global energy community that cultivates cross-border dialogue, generates new ideas, and identifies synergies.

Why is the Congress a good platform for anchoring your campaign?
The Congress offers a unique opportunity for holding face-to-face debates and exchanges with high-level stakeholders. And we are very much looking forward to presenting our most relevant experiences, findings and recommendations gathered throughout the last six months in our “Road to Daegu” Roadbook!

What do you hope to achieve at the Congress?
During the Congress we will intensify interactions with our customers and energy experts from all over the world – and provide a wide variety of possibilities for doing so. Michael Suess will be on the opening panel, and our experts will present their technical papers and join the discussions in various sessions.

For our 270-square-metre booth, we are preparing a lively programme to promote interaction and will be offering various opportunities for one-on-one talks. And of course we’ll be celebrating the grand finale of our Road to Daegu with our guests. Make sure you don’t miss the last Round Table discussion followed by our big booth party on October 15!


Find out more about Siemens’ Road to Daegu campaign, including summaries of the Round Table discussions and blogs, on: www.siemens.com/wec. Its first Round Table was attended by Dr Leonhard Birnbaum, the WEC Vice-Chair for Europe. The next discussion will take place in Abu Dhabi on 4 September.