AVEVA and Microsoft are shaping a sustainable future

AVEVA and Microsoft are shaping a sustainable future

Kerry Grimes discusses how digital technologies are transforming the energy sector into a cleaner industry

Rebecca Gibson |


Organisations in the global energy sector are aiming to make their businesses more productive, energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. AVEVA’s head of global partners Kerry Grimes gives an insight into how his company is working with Microsoft to help customers achieve these goals by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, the cloud, data, human insight and other technologies. 

Tell us how AVEVA is partnering with Microsoft to advance global sustainability in the energy sector. 
AVEVA and Microsoft are accelerating innovation across the energy sector by empowering companies to shape a sustainable future. Together, we are elevating how the energy industry operates by combining industrial data, artificial intelligence and human insight with the power of cloud. Our technology solutions provide customers with real-time energy operational data management, which drives efficiency to help them manage their consumption and emissions more effectively.  

A key focus of our Microsoft partnership is to transform the energy sector and support the transition to the low-carbon era. With combined solutions like AVEVA Unified Operations Center and AVEVA Insight delivered via AVEVA Connect with Microsoft Azure, we are assisting energy organisations to build agile plants, design and engineer reliable operations, and secure production.

In what ways is AVEVA collaborating with partners to empower businesses to become more sustainable? 
AVEVA is committed to working with industry leaders worldwide to help them drive sustainability in engineering, operations and performance. Our combined solutions span engineering and operations through Performance Intelligence. Together, we are well-positioned to help increase energy efficiency, minimise noxious emissions and optimise the effective use of valuable natural resources to advance sustainable development across a diverse range of industry sectors.

This growing focus on the role that technology leaders can, and must, play in the transition to more sustainable industries has reshaped our strategy and purpose in the past year, even during the unexpected disruptions. Digital technologies allow companies to accelerate along their chosen pathway to sustainability by enabling them to operate more efficiently and conserve energy across their operations. It also provides them with accurate baseline data and measurable evidence of progress at scale.

How does your core platform, AVEVA Unified Operations Center, enable businesses to achieve this?
The platform offers a foundation for real-time operational performance management, providing company-wide visibility to optimise assets and operations. It empowers the whole team with a centralised view to help make quick and efficient decisions.

Engineering, operations and performance intelligence measures can be calculated from the site level down to the asset level. This brings end-to-end operational visibility across facilities, allowing organisations to improve safety, operational efficiency and, ultimately, the profit margins of their businesses. 

Can you tell us about your collaboration with Microsoft Energy Core (MEC)?

AVEVA became one of ten companies to collaborate with Microsoft to launch MEC as part of a commitment towards capacity building and empowering innovation. The initiative is focused on enabling organisations to drive energy efficiency and prosperity to achieve a common goal of reshaping the future of the energy industry. 

Over the past few years, digital transformation has been changing the way the manufacturing and energy industries approach business sustainability while seeking robust technologies to run their operations efficiently. As the sector transitions to working differently in a digital-first new normal, AVEVA is collaborating with Microsoft to support its customer vision of creating profitable and sustainable business outcomes. Our broad portfolio, combined with Microsoft’s technology solutions, ensures customers can deploy faster, reduce energy consumption, cut emissions, and share collaborative innovation, boosting efficiency for all.  

AVEVA is also participating in Microsoft’s Sustainability Global Campaign. As one of Microsoft’s leading partners, we enable customers to execute their net-zero carbon pledges through pioneering sustainability solutions.

Developing green industrial processes are increasingly becoming a top priority for organisations as they reduce any adverse impact on the environment and allow for streamlined and efficient operations. Together, AVEVA and Microsoft are committed to building a stronger, powerful ecosystem to support industries worldwide to action their sustainability goals. 

AVEVA clinched both the 2021 Microsoft Energy Partner of the Year Award and a Finalist Award for Global Sustainability Changemaker. Why do you think you won? 
AVEVA was presented with these awards for providing outstanding Microsoft technology-based solutions and services across the energy and manufacturing sector. The awards acknowledge our industry-specific expertise in enabling energy and manufacturing companies to meet their sustainability goals through advanced digital technologies. 

As a finalist for the Sustainability Changemaker Partner of the Year Award, AVEVA was recognised for delivering unique solutions built on Microsoft technologies that help customers solve challenges of sustainable digital transformation. Sustainability change-makers drive ­purpose-driven digital transformation that powers a more sustainable world.  

This article was originally published in the Autumn 2021 issue of Technology Record. To get future issues delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for a free subscription.

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