SPEAKER
Radu DUDĂU
President and co-founder
of EPG
TITLE
Powering AI in Romania. Attracting investment and readying the energy system for AI data centers
Radu Dudău is President and co-founder of EPG, an independent think-tank specializing in energy and climate policy. From 2007 to 2023, he was an Associate Professor at the Bucharest University. From 2006 to 2010 he was Deputy Director at the Romanian Diplomatic Institute (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
He graduated in Physics and Philosophy from the University of Iași. He holds a Dr. Phil. degree in Philosophy from Konstanz University (Germany) and a PhD in Political Science (International Relations) from the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA, Bucharest).
He was a Fulbright Fellow with the National Security Program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2011), a New Europe College Fellow at the Danish Institute of International Relations (Copenhagen, 2006) and an OSI/FCO-Chevening scholar at Oxford University (1999-2000).
His work focuses on energy policy, with a focus on markets, technology and geopolitics.
SPEAKER
Bianca Gunnesch
Business Development Manager Eastern Europe,
Siemens Energy
TITLE
Siemens Energy – Sustainable Energy Solutions
An experienced professional, with more than 20 years of expertise in the industry and energy sector, Bianca Gunnesch is Business Development Manager at Siemens Energy, one of the world’s leading energy technology companies.
Education & Academic Pursuits
She pursued a master’s in business administration at the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences and the University of Economic Studies in Bucharest, broadening her perspective and developing practical skills that prepared her for diverse challenges during her professional career.
Professional Endeavors
Bianca’s experience spans several leadership roles in the field of strategic planning, business development and risk and internal control management, being recognized for her adaptability and dedication to excellence.
With a solid understanding of markets and customers’ analysis, Bianca has also coordinated and implemented complex EU-funded projects, collaborating with cross-functional and cross-regional teams to define the required business strategy and generate new business opportunities. Her ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders contributes to achieving business objectives.
Areas of Expertise
- Strategic Planning
- Customer Relationship Management
- Communication
- Market intelligence
- Enterprise Risk Management
- Project management
- Business Processes
Currently, Bianca has a deep insight into innovative technologies and sustainable portfolio
SPEAKER
Prof. Gianfranco CHICCO
(IEEE Fellow)
Politecnico di Torino, Italy
TITLE
Controllability of Smart Appliances in Households
Gianfranco Chicco holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and is a Full Professor of Electrical Energy Systems at Politecnico di Torino (POLITO), Italy. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and the past Chair of the IEEE Italy Section (2023-2024). He received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the Universities Politehnica of Bucharest and Technical University “Gheorghe Asachi” of Iasi (Romania) in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
He is the Scientific Responsible of the research group on Power and Energy Systems at POLITO, and the Responsible of the Torino unit of the Italian Inter-University Consortium ENSIEL.
He is the Editor-in-Chief of Sustainable Energy Grids and Networks. He was the Conference Chair or co-Chair of WESC 2006, IEEE ISGT Europe 2017, UPEC 2020, IEEE Eurocon 2023, SEST 2024 and IEEE SmartGridComm 2024.
His research activities include Power System Analysis, Distribution System Analysis and Optimization, Electrical Load Management, Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact of Multi-Energy Systems, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence Applications to Power and Energy Systems, Renewable Energy Sources and Distributed Generation, and Power Quality.
His International scientific production includes one book, five book chapters, over 100 journal publications, and over 150 publications in conference proceedings.
SPEAKER
Radu Tarau
Executive Director
at EnergoBit Control Systems
TITLE
Accelerating Digital Transformation in an Electrical Design Engineering Company for Enhanced Efficiency and Innovation: A Case Study in the Romanian Energy Sector
Radu Tărău is Executive Director at EnergoBit Control Systems in Cluj-Napoca, with over 15 years of experience in engineering and management. A graduate of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, he strengthened his expertise in organizational leadership through an Executive MBA at Hull University Business School (via Transilvania Executive Education) and a PhD in Management from Babeș-Bolyai University.
At EnergoBit, Radu Tărău coordinates operational and strategic activities, developing complex projects in control, automation, and electrical systems solutions. His expertise combines strong engineering knowledge with leadership and project management skills, contributing to the implementation of innovative technological solutions and to consolidating the company’s position in the energy and automation sector.
SPEAKER
Taylor RICHÉ
Director of Technology
and Innovation Software,
Emerson Test and Measurement
TITLE
Empowering the Test Engineer through Intelligent Test
Director of Technology and Innovation Software, Emerson Test and Measurement Dr. Taylor Riché is Director of Technology and Innovation Software for Emersonʼs Test and Measurement business. With 14 years of experience in software innovation, Taylor leads the development of advanced software technologies that power Emersonʼs Intelligent Test solutions, helping customers drive greater efficiency and success. He focuses on accelerating innovation across the software portfolio by harnessing the latest advancements in technology.
Prior to his current role, Taylor held several key positions within National Instruments (now Emersonʼs Test and Measurement business), contributing to flagship products such as NI LabVIEW and NI SystemLink. Taylor holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin, where his research focused on the intersection of parallel programming, computer networking, and model-driven software engineering.
