#44 - The Role of AI and IoT in Smart Grids and Transportation

The Aeolian Discourse Round Table explores how AI and IoT are reshaping smart grids and transportation. Moderator Michael Shea welcomes Michael Schäfer (formerly Mobility Data Space), Dr. Jens Strücker (University of Bayreuth & Fraunhofer FIT), and Sebastiaan Coppenholle (Elia Group) to discuss decentralized infrastructures, regulatory frameworks, and emerging business models. The conversation highlights challenges around data sovereignty, cybersecurity, and interoperability, while also examining incentives driving digital transformation. Audience Q&A enriches the session with real-world insights and regional perspectives.

Key Time Markers

• [00:05:27] – Sebastiaan Coppenholle

• Highlights standardization and interoperability as major hurdles in deploying decentralized energy and mobility solutions. "We don’t have the luxury of time to unify these standards."

• [00:07:59] – Michael Schäfer

• Discusses the cultural resistance to decentralized infrastructures, noting that lack of trust, not technology, is the biggest barrier to adoption.

• [00:17:25] – Dr. Jens Strücker

• Explains the impact of the EU’s Digital Product Passport as a driver of interoperability, calling it "regulation in its best form" for ensuring trusted data exchange.

• [00:23:38] – Sebastiaan Coppenholle

• Addresses the cybersecurity risks of integrating millions of decentralized energy assets into the grid, emphasizing the need for a robust digital identity framework.

• [00:42:14] – Dr. Jens Strücker

• Advocates for public-sector digital identity frameworks to secure energy and mobility systems, arguing that private sector solutions like Microsoft’s should not dominate.

• [01:02:59] – Audience Question (Paul G.)

• Raises concerns about market design failures in Australia, questioning whether market operators have incentives to accept verified decentralized energy data.