TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In a world where urban centers generate 70% of carbon emissions and consume nearly 78% of global energy, the Smart City Summit & Expo (SCSE, 智慧城市展) has brought technology-driven solutions to the forefront of sustainability discussions.
During a keynote speech on Tuesday (March 18), Frank Grunert, president and CEO of Siemens Taiwan, highlighted the critical sectors requiring immediate attention for a net-zero future. "According to the latest statistics in Taiwan, more than 84% of carbon emissions are coming from energy sector, transportation sector, building sector and manufacturing sector," Grunert told TVBS World Taiwan.
"In any of these four sectors, Siemens is active, and we can provide solutions to help the government to achieve their targets," he added, emphasizing the company's comprehensive approach to emissions reduction.
Central to Siemens' strategy is the implementation of advanced digitalization, particularly through their digital twin technology, which creates virtual replicas of physical systems. "The digital twin is a tool which you can use to simulate the real world in a virtual world. And this helps you to optimize outputs in the real world in a virtual environment," Grunert explained.
Siemens Taiwan has been actively collaborating with local partners to implement these technologies in practical settings, with tangible results already emerging in Taiwan's manufacturing hubs. "Taichung is a manufacturing base for machine building industry, and in machine building industry, we have a technology called adaptive control and monitoring system," Grunert said, referring to one of their AI-driven solutions.
The benefits of this technology are substantial for manufacturers. "With this system, which is an AI-driven technology, producers are able to constantly adjust the abrasion of the machining tool in the machine so they have less tool usage, they have less power consumption, and you can achieve more with less," he explained.
Grunert emphasized that collaboration remains key to achieving broader sustainability goals. "This collaboration thought and the willingness of Siemens and other companies to work together in an ecosystem, to achieve more with less, to achieve the reduction of carbon emissions, this is one of the key drivers why I said Siemens should be here in this event today."
Siemens Taiwan's approach aligns with the government's 2050 net-zero emissions policy, focusing on digital solutions and strategic partnerships that demonstrate a commitment to environmental sustainability. Their integration of AI and digital technologies into infrastructure and manufacturing processes represents a forward-looking approach to building smart, sustainable cities across Taiwan, potentially transforming how urban centers manage their environmental impact.
