Michael Breuer

"The markets in APAC are different from and more heterogeneous than those in Europe and the US. Asia is home to both some of the world’s wealthiest countries, for example Singapore, and some of its poorest, such as Nepal. As a result, it has a unique spectrum of economic, cultural and political circumstances.

We master the balance between price-sensitive markets and high-tech markets by offering solutions sure to impress on both a technical and commercial level. Given the rapid growth in prosperity in recent decades, for example in China and India, both of these markets sometimes exist side by side within one single country.

Our claim is a promise that we will take care of the future and use our unique knowledge to develop new solutions that can cover the entire spectrum. Electrical safety is our core competence and will therefore remain a strong focus. It is where we are from, what we specialise in and what we will continue to use as a foundation for our future development.

I believe that our new claim is also a real door-opener with regard to our customers, especially in the APAC region, in which Bender has not yet reached the high level of market penetration that it already enjoys in locations such as the core market of Europe. Decentralised energy generation, highly available hyperscale data centres and the need to increase efficiency due to climate change all pose new challenges when it comes to designing electrical installations – and we want to be part of this development. We therefore, for example, need new smart safety and user concepts that we can adapt to meet requirements on site.

For me, designing the future of energy means coming up with smart solutions for every region and its individual demands. When doing so, the focus on “smart” means being able to solve problems or adapt to situations efficiently. Within this context, AI and other software-based solutions are nothing more than tools that we use to achieve these goals. These smart solutions may be adaptations of existing products or completely new developments such as our “Graphene” software.

The increasing complexity of electrical installations is another important aspect. More and more components now have more and more functions and can provide an increasing amount of data. We need to succeed in connecting systems intelligently and ensuring their safe availability. We also need to learn how to manage them actively. Let’s consider the measured values of power quality devices in an electrical installation. These provide so much data that we are not yet able to sufficiently evaluate and use the huge potential that lies within them.

Both data and knowing how to handle it will be the most important assets for Bender in the future. Given our unique expertise, we are, of course, already in an outstanding position and are considered to be one of the most important players worldwide in our niche. Our “Graphene” software, for example, will help us to take individual piles of data and components and use them to develop a smart, user-friendly solution that provides users with clear and understandable information on what needs to be done. This will become extremely relevant, not only to avert risks in predictive maintenance but also to improve efficiency in other areas.

We are developing the software platform in Singapore because the market requirements and the expertise are right here waiting for us. Graphene will help us to consolidate and analyse measured values from different devices and functions and to actively manage systems. At present, Graphene is only available in APAC, but similar solutions and needs can also be found in Europe and the Americas. I am certain that this solution will soon also be highly relevant for Bender on a global level.

After all, Asia has developed far beyond solely being a production site for the rest of the world; it is now a highly attractive, extremely dynamic and innovative market. If we want to design the future of energy, we therefore need to think in both global and regional terms at the same time. Developing solutions in Grünberg and selling them to the world will no longer suffice. Instead, we need to develop solutions on locationlocally in specific regions before considering where these solutions or parts of them can be used or adapted. Our hubs and competence centres put us in the perfect position to design the future of energy with this approach."