(Interview) “Manufacturing is turning into a sophisticated set of information technology-based processes”, Stephanie Jumel

Today, Stephanie Jumel, City and Industry Chief R&D Officer at EDF, tells us more about EDF and CaFFEET’14.

With nearly 160,000 employees, EDF Group is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. It is active in all business areas related to generation, transmission, distribution and end-uses of electricity and gas, as well in energy-related trading activities. In 2013, the Group posted record-setting revenues of $103 billion.

In North America, EDF Group is represented by EDF Inc. (Chevy Chase, MD), EDF Renewable Energy, an industry leader in wind, solar, and biogas project development and EDF Trading North America LLC., one of the largest providers of energy to the wholesale gas and power sectors in North America. EDF-R&D, part of EDF Inc. based in Los Altos, also takes advantage of the innovation and R&D dynamics of the Silicon Valley and the high level of scientific and industrial knowledge in the US to create value for EDF and its subsidiaries.

What does a conference like CaFFEET bring to EDF?

The EDF Group was one of the founding partners of CaFFEET with the French Consulate in San Francisco, joined by PRIME and French Tech Hub, with the ambition to enhance technical exchanges between France and California, two leaders in low-carbon energies. Through the mix of cultures, CaFFEET is an excellent source of inspiration for EDF and a great place to network and identify start ups that can later be useful for our subsidiaries. It is also a leading event to promote EDF Group activities and values in North America.

Why is EDF involved in the Smart Factory?

For a long time, EDF has been involved in supporting industrial customers improving their energy consumption or power quality, promoting energy efficiency and designing innovative electro-technologies. Today, we see that manufacturing is transforming from a labor-intensive mechanical processes to a sophisticated set of information technology-based processes (additive manufacturing, robotics and automation, etc). We need to be aware of those changes, to adapt our energy offerings and to be proactive in supporting this sector, which is highly competitive but also creates jobs. To this end, our EDF R&D teams work on forecasting studies to shape what will be the factory of tomorrow, on technological developments (next generation sensors), software (for better energy management).

What are you expecting from the CaFFEET’14?

My hopes for CaFFEET is to bring the audience a vision of the factory of tomorrow, what trends are emerging and what disruptive technologies are coming up. I am also convinced that this future is not that far, and I hope to see some case studies paving the way for the whole sector. I hope CaFFEET will also serve as a forum to foster ideas for utilities to enter the future of services to industrial clients.

Last but not least, I expect very fruitful exchanges between audiences and speakers to build up strong and fruitful collaboration.

To register for CaFFEET’14, go to EventBrite