Ralf Werner drives forward. The energy transition. The digital transformation at OGE. The transition of the company from E.ON AG to a consortium consisting of British Columbia Investment Management, ADIA, Fluxys and Munich Re (MEAG).
One of the most important issues that needs to be driven forward in his industry is the energy transition, the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energies, which is to be completed by either 2030, 2040 or 2050. This requires many things, but also completely new infrastructures for the production, storage and distribution of renewable energies.
A cloud-based IT infrastructure with the Industrial IoT and digital twins, data-based genAI and application layers that integrate all of this with each other is also needed, but these are already here, according to Werner. Werner incorporates the power of technology into his 4D strategy, which is about nothing less than demographic change, digitalisation, decarbonisation and decentralisation. These are four challenges to which Ralf Werner certainly needs more than four answers. But the most important element in meeting these challenges at OGE is also artificial intelligence, which Werner wants to use to make the knowledge of his expert organisation, as he describes his company, available to everyone. Ralf Werner also needs AI for process automation, which he wants to use to manage the grid infrastructure required for the energy transition – despite the shortage of skilled labour, which his company also needs to get under control.
But the reason why IT drives everything forward at OGE is not just down to the technology itself. The (agile) methods with which Ralf Werner’s IT colleagues work – in hybrid teams, by the way -, his structures, and even the mindset with which he and his team approach and realise innovations – all of this radiates far beyond the actual IT department and helps the company to be innovative and thus remain competitive.
No wonder Ralf Werner speaks so confidently about his IT strategies. At OGE, it is clear that without IT, transformation and – when viewed in the light of day – innovation are no longer possible.
