SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES SAS

Their core work

Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy management and industrial automation, providing power distribution, building management, and grid infrastructure solutions. Within H2020, they contribute expertise in smart grid integration, demand response systems, power electronics, and microgrid resilience — applying their commercial-scale product knowledge to EU research on energy transition and digitalization. Their participation bridges the gap between laboratory research and deployable energy infrastructure, particularly in areas like local energy communities, network automation, and advanced power semiconductor applications.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), Schneider Electric focused on smart city demonstrations, energy saving in buildings, and enabling distributed generation through grid upgrades — large-scale lighthouse and demonstration projects like GrowSmarter and UPGRID. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward decentralized energy systems (local energy communities, microgrids, network automation) and advanced power semiconductor technology (GaN devices for automotive and industrial applications). This reflects a move from centralized grid optimization toward distributed, digitalized energy infrastructure with a new hardware R&D dimension in wide-bandgap semiconductors.

Schneider Electric is moving toward distributed energy management and advanced power electronics (GaN), signaling interest in next-generation grid-edge hardware and local energy autonomy.

How they like to work

Schneider Electric consistently participates as a partner rather than a coordinator across all eight H2020 projects, contributing industrial expertise and validation capacity without taking on project management. With 223 unique consortium partners across 28 countries, they operate as a highly connected hub — a large industrial player that diverse consortia want on board for credibility and real-world deployment pathways. Their presence in both Innovation Actions (7 projects) and Research & Innovation Actions (1 project) confirms they are valued primarily for near-market demonstration and scale-up capability.

Schneider Electric has collaborated with 223 distinct partners across 28 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected industrial participants in energy-related H2020 projects. Their network spans nearly all EU member states with no narrow geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

As a Fortune 500 energy management company, Schneider Electric brings something most academic or SME partners cannot: a direct path from research prototype to commercial product deployed at scale across hundreds of countries. Their combination of grid infrastructure expertise, building automation systems, and now power semiconductor R&D makes them a rare partner who can validate research results against real industrial requirements. For consortium builders, having Schneider Electric on board signals market relevance and strengthens exploitation plans significantly.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IELECTRIX
  Largest EC contribution (EUR 602,000) and most thematically rich project — covers local energy communities, storage, network automation, and digitalization across Indian and European sites.
• GaN4AP
  Represents a strategic pivot into GaN power semiconductors for automotive and industrial applications — a departure from their traditional grid-level focus into component-level R&D.
• SDN-microSENSE
  Combines energy systems expertise with cybersecurity (SDN-based microgrid protection), positioning Schneider Electric at the energy-security intersection.