APC 2009 Annual Report Download - page 26

2009 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC24
DESCRIPTION OFTHEGROUP, ITSMARKETS ANDITSBUSINESSES
1INNOVATION AND R&D: CREATING INTELLIGENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOROURCUSTOMERS
In October2009, Schneider Electric announced the debut of its
EcoStruxure™ solution architecture, which unites its unique expertise
in power, data centres , process and machines, building control, and
physical security to enable intelligent energy management solutions
for customers seeking to optimise energy effi ciency across their
businesses.
In an industry that is reinventing itself, Schneider Electric has
everything it takes to play a key role in the new energy landscape.
As the Smart Grid changes the basic model of energy supply and
demand, Schneider Electric will see numerous opportunities arise in
energy effi ciency, systems for renewable energies, electric vehicles,
demand response (DR), and carbon management services.
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3. Innovation and R&D: creating
intelligent energy solutions
for our customers
The in-depth technological changes of today’s world that are
revolutionizing lifestyles and work habits are also having a profound
impact on research, development and innovation.
As energy efficiency becomes indispensable and automation,
information and communication technologies converge, innovation
for innovation’s sake is no longer a valid response to today’s energy
issues. Customers are looking less for bells and whistles than for
integrated solutions that will make their lives easier and optimise
costs. To be successful, innovation must be multidisciplinary, and
its results quickly and effectively deployed. Success also requires
the ability to design and manage collaborative innovation processes.
Thanks to its strategy of acquisitions, Schneider Electric has built a
unique portfolio of expertise. A number of measures were continued
or introduced in 2009 to make the most of innovations that meet
customers’ current and future needs, with the goal of fostering
greater consistency among product and service line up and R&D
skills management.
•Deployment continued for the Schneider Business Innovation
System, designed to unleash the Group’s creativity and
responsiveness while putting customer satisfaction at the centre
of innovation. Numerous projects were carried out across the
organisation involving Schneider Electric’s different businesses.
Their results helped teams describe markets according to
different outlooks in the discovery phase, generate new business-
oriented innovation ideas in the creation phase and defi ne project
plans in the development phase. Systems to improve user buy-in
of the method and its innovation resources were strengthened
during the year, notably by making tools freely available on the
intranet. Teleconferences were organised regularly within the
R&D community to share good practices and gather feedback
on how the method and resources are being used.
•Based on reviews of solutions architectures carried out in 2008
and in response to customer demand, Schneider Electric
launched a cross-business R&D programme called EcoStruxure
during the year to develop software connections based on
Internet technologies between electrical distribution, data centre ,
automation, building control and security solutions developed and
sold by the Group. The programme ’s ultimate goal is to provide
a single interface for managing and monitoring energy use. With
EcoStruxure, Schneider Electric is making the most of the skills
acquired in recent years by developing greater synergy among
competencies to deliver greater performance to customers.
•The Group continued its Boost Patents programme to
encourage the fi ling of patents in technological areas that are
important to Schneider Electric’s future. In all, 332 patents were
fi led in 2009, down a slight 3% compared to the record level of
2008 but up 26% from 2007.
•The global programme to recognise experts introduced in 2008
was also continued in 2009. Led by Human Resources, the
Innovation Department and the Group’s main R&D executives,
this programme is designed to facilitate the career growth of high
level experts in technologies, products and services, raise their
profi les and ensure that the Group knows where they are and
uses their knowledge in defi ning its strategy. During the year, the
programme identifi ed 80 experts from 11 countries involved in
Group R&D.
•Lastly, an Innovation and Technology Committee was set up
in 2009 to promote the deployment of existing resources and
consider the implementation of additional tools. The committee,
which meets monthly, includes the divisions’ technical directors
and members of the Strategy & Innovation Department.
Group-wide innovation management initiatives