APC 2009 Annual Report Download - page 28

2009 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC26
DESCRIPTION OFTHEGROUP, ITSMARKETS ANDITSBUSINESSES
1INNOVATION AND R&D: CREATING INTELLIGENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOROURCUSTOMERS
•The VELCRI electric vehicle with integrated fast charger
project led by Renault is designed to provide a technically robust,
safe and affordable solution to the two main problems involved
in recharging electric vehicle batteries: (i) fast charging and (ii) the
ability to manage the energy of a group of recharging stations to
facilitate their integration in the grid.
Experiments on EV recharging are also being carried out in
collaboration with MIT as part of the Media Lab’s Mobility on Demand
project.
A deep commitment within the R&D
community
Schneider Electric plays an active role in the French and international
R&D community, notably in defi ning strategic R&D programmes
and in evaluating projects currently under way or submitted to
France’s competitiveness clusters, the French National Research
Agency or European organizations such as FP7 and ITEA
(Information Technology for European Advancement). The two
main competitiveness clusters include Minalogic, specialized in
microtechnologies, nanotechnologies and embedded software and
Tenerrdis, devoted to new energy technologies and renewable
energies.
To give an example, the Group has helped defi ne the fi rst Strategic
Research Agenda (SRA) of the Organic Large Electronics Area,
entitled “Towards Green Electronics in Europe”. Organic
electronics, which are intended to supplement rather than replace
conventional electronics, have the potential to offer great fl exibility in
the design and use of printed buttons, screens and other electrical
products. Compact size and ease of installation are the customer
values promised by Schneider Electric within the framework of
thisSRA.
Schneider Electric is also a member of the European Multifunctional
Materials Institute (EMMI) Industry Support Group. EMMI’s main
objective is to provide its 15 academic members from seven
European countries with a shared platform to create and conduct
research and education projects in the field of multifunctional
materials science. The idea is to foster exchanges among different
communities on such topics as functional ceramics and organic-
inorganic hybrids. Environmental issues play a key role in much of
the members’ resulting work. Examples include projects to design
new materials or systems to reduce electrical consumption, projects
to replace toxic components and a project to develop hypersensitive
gas sensors.
Schneider Electric Ventures: Technology
intelligence and source of partnerships
Schneider Electric Ventures, the Group’s venture capital is another
source of highly productive partnerships. Since 2003, the fund has
forged contacts with more than a thousand small and mid-sized
businesses around the world. It invests in high-tech start-ups whose
innovations fi t with the Group’s future development. Focus areas
include energy, communication, automation and the use of advanced
materials and electronics.
By studying both emerging markets and technological trends,
Schneider Electric is able to identify potential growth and innovation
opportunities at a very early stage. In 2009, Schneider Electric
Ventures invested in two new start-ups of note:
•Jet Metal Technologies, which offers an environmentally friendly,
innovative, simple and low-cost alternative to conventional
metallization technologies. Several Group units are studying
ways to use this particularly attractive, high-potential innovation
at Schneider Electric;
•Agilence, which offers a solution to prevent retail loss based on
video surveillance systems. Schneider Electric is currently looking
at how to integrate the related software in its line up.
In January 2010, Alstom and Schneider Electric join forces to launch
a new venture capital fund to fi nance innovative start-ups in the
fi elds of energy and environment. This is the fi rst time worldwide
that two major industrial groups are associated in a joint initiative of
this nature, which, in addition, remains open to the participation of
other potential partners.
The fund, Aster Capital, is based in Paris and will receive progressively
a capital subscription of EUR70 million, from Schneider Electric
(EUR40 million) and Alstom (EUR30 million). Other industrial partners
can be invited to join this initiative to create the European benchmark
fund specializing in energy and environment. Benefi ting from the
venture capital expertise that the Schneider Electric Ventures team
has acquired, the mission of Aster Capital is to take minority interests
in innovative start-ups based in Europe, North America and Asia,
developing new technologies that could lead to major breakthroughs
in the fi elds of energy and the environment.
Innovation and standardization
In a logical extension of its R&D and numerous technological
partnerships, Schneider Electric is deeply involved in efforts to
standardize and certify materials, equipment, methods and resources
at the international level (IEC and ISO) and as a member of several
consortiums.
It has chosen this active approach to ensure that Schneider Electric’s
solutions are interoperable with those offered by competitors and to
protect customers from low-cost products that could compromise
on safety, security, availability, durability, energy efficiency or
environmental protection.
The Group suggests standards and defends its positions in host
countries and internationally on such key topics as basic physical
safety (fi re resistance, for example), functional safety (how software
and automation are integrated in a function), electromagnetic
compatibility (the ability for devices to work side by side without
disturbing each other), interoperability, energy efficiency and
environmental protection.
In 2009, Schneider Electric collaborated with a number of partners,
including Microsoft, to obtain standardization for the Devices Profi le
for Web Services (DPWS) specifi cation from the Organisation for the
Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS).
Also during the year, Schneider Electric pushed successfully for the
specifi cation of the new ZigBee Green Power feature set within
the ZigBee alliance, which defi nes standards for wireless sensors
and actuators. This new standard, which signifi cantly reduces the
amount of energy needed for wireless solutions, opens the door to
wireless, self-powered sensors that will communicate seamlessly
with existing ZigBee and ZigBee PRO networks. Schneider Electric
organised a first test event in Grenoble in December2009 to
demonstrate the interoperability of ZigBee Green Power products.
In June, Schneider Electric unveiled the prototype of the world’s fi rst
ZigBee compatible wireless, batteryless switch in Munich. The