It is essential to analyze the consumption and the operational business to respond in real time to the needs of the demand and the company. This is possible thanks to the IoT devices that connect to the grid to extract information and therefore be able to carry out processes automatically, with remote monitoring and control. This technology allows, for example, the automation of plant audits, storage surveillance and control, or the monitoring of plants, distribution and trading.

The number of devices connected to smart grids will increase exponentially in the coming years. In order to manage them properly, it is necessary to have an enterprise IoT platform that can be integrated into the company’s technological ecosystem and be able to connect to a wide variety of signal and information sources. In this way it will be possible to process large amounts of data through Cloud environments and provide self-service of advanced visualization and analytic tools. Thanks to the IoT platforms it is possible to improve the operational performance of industrial plants and installations and obtain real-time information, allowing the company to act on the assets to make them more efficient.

Thanks to IoT devices, companies have large volumes of data about production, machine and plant operation, process monitoring and user consumption. Through Big Data platforms and tools it is possible to analyze the information both to know better the customer and his consumption, and to improve the operative and the efficiency of the processes. In addition, thanks to advanced analysis and prediction models based on Artificial Intelligence, companies can anticipate and generate differential advantages.

Blockchain can be a basic axis for the transformation of the transactional infrastructure of the sector, moving from centralized to decentralized structures. This technology is being used for data management, security in the energy supply system, real-time energy adjustments, financial monitoring and recording and traceability of interactions between different actors. It enables functionalities such as secure management of asset emission rights, renewable energy certificates and serves as a basis for metering, billing and compensation processes.

Automation allows to improve the speed and quality of decision making by collecting real time information, applying patterns and reference values, and generating alarms and messages that make the work easier for the employees. This allows the interaction with the processes by a software, without assuming risks in plant (SCADA). In addition, automation drives the transformation in any phase, allows the control of the traceability of operations and assets, and offers solutions in commercial processes such as fraud liquidation, On-Boarding in contracting or automatic invoicing.

Regarding Robotization, it is very useful in the maintenance and inspection of risk assets, which are difficult to access and require a great deal of time. There has also been a boom in the use of Robots and Cobots (Collaborative Robots) in factories, driven by the improvement in efficiency.

The services provided by this industry are a fundamental part of the economy and society, and therefore, so in addition to the usual attacks, they have to face attacks with national targets. These companies must ensure the resilience of the ecosystem against security threats or accidents. The industry has a lot of experience with physical threats or failures, but not with cyber attacks, and with increasing digitalisation, connected devices and the new role of consumers; they have become vulnerable to potential attacks such as DDoS or Ransomware. In this context, it is vital to design and execute a comprehensive Cybersecurity strategy, focused on securing the network and infrastructure, data encryption and prevention, with the aim of protecting the operational data generated by the infrastructure, as well as personal and consumer data provided by customers of different companies.

The AR can be a great help in the areas of support, plant control, maintenance and training, reducing the volume of errors and execution time. For example, training with devices that simulate the work scenario to carry out a process safely; simulate evacuation protocols in critical situations such as leaks or fires; or support through audiovisual and real-time content in the development of plant processes.