Siemens Energy Ventures works with a variety of young companies, bringing their expertise, ideas and new technology into our organization and scaling them up for impact.

Siemens Energy is present in 90 countries and covers the entire energy landscape - from conventional to renewable energy, from grid technology and storage to the electrification of complex industrial processes. Their mission is to support companies and countries with what they need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make energy reliable, affordable, and sustainable.

Connect with Jaydeep Naha on Linkedin and read more about the partnership described in the podcast in Siemens Energy blog here.

00:00 - Introduction and Jaydeep’s foray into energy2:12 - Siemens Energy Challenges3:46 - Venture Building vs Venture Clienting6:00 - Success stories and scaling with Anybotics8:44 - the process behind scaling12:58 - Digitalization priorities for Siemens15:25 - Advice for Startups

Like this episode? Subscribe to get notified about the next one!

Robotics Powering Digital Transformation

Robotics innovations are driving a profound transformation within the European energy sector, as companies embrace advanced automation, collaborative partnerships, and data-driven solutions to meet climate, efficiency, and reliability goals. Recent developments, including Siemens Energy’s approach and multiple partnership successes, reveal several essential trends and strategic priorities shaping the future of energy in Europe.

European energy companies now integrate advanced robotics and artificial intelligence across operations to unlock efficiency and operational resilience. These systems handle inspections, predictive maintenance, and asset management—often in hazardous locations or around the clock—dramatically reducing safety risks and downtime while optimizing resource allocation. Quadruped robots, wall-climbing machines, and autonomous drones regularly monitor assets in complex industrial environments, supporting creation of digital twins and enabling early fault detection at scale.

The EU’s strategic focus on climate action, digital transformation, and industrial competitiveness makes it fertile ground for robotics innovations in energy. Through open innovation, collaborative funding, and robust ecosystem-building, European companies can rapidly test, scale, and deploy the latest technologies while meeting ambitious regulatory, safety, and sustainability benchmarks.

A key lesson echoed by leaders in the industry: the real breakthroughs come from forging trusted, mutually beneficial partnerships—combining the strengths of large corporates and nimble startups. It is not the technology alone, but the ability to scale it across borders, business units, and use cases, that delivers lasting impact.

Partnering with specialist robotics startups, rather than building solely in-house, allows for flexible and rapid innovation. Siemens Energy’s approach exemplifies this: its venture arm collaborates with startups to bring “digital brains” to robots, speeding up deployment, enhancing adaptability, and reducing the time and cost to reach market readiness. Leveraging the expertise and R&D of external partners ensures even the most sophisticated autonomy solutions are robust, reliable, and readily scalable across geographies and business lines.

Market Trends: Ecosystems and Agile Adoption

Several market trends stand out:

* Open Innovation: Energy leaders are actively fostering innovation ecosystems that integrate solutions from both internal teams and external startups. This collaborative approach helps rapidly address technical challenges and build multifaceted, future-proof robotics platforms.

* Scalable Pilots and Expansion: Pilots begin in one location or domain—often power generation or transmission—and then scale rapidly if successful, crossing both business units and national borders. The underlying robotics platforms are designed for adaptability, enabling efficient rollout in diverse technical and regulatory environments.

* Flexible Business Models: Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) and hybrid service models are increasingly adopted, shifting robotics from capex-heavy investments to pay-as-you-go operational solutions. This not only democratizes access for smaller operators but aligns incentives for continuous improvement from solution providers.

* Human Expertise and Digital Enablement: Contrary to fears of job loss, digital and robotics adoption often addresses acute talent shortages. Many European energy companies lack sufficient specialized expertise for complex, remote, or high-risk sites—robots and AI agents step in to supplement human skills, not replace them.

Robotics and AI are establishing themselves as core enablers of the European energy sector’s ongoing digital transformation. Their adoption is driven not by abstract technological promise, but by pragmatic goals—safety, efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. Companies that embrace collaborative innovation, scalable business models, and people-centric transformation will shape the future of energy in Europe, ensuring robust progress toward decarbonization and energy security.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klimaticgroup.substack.com