In one focused day, the Summit brought together leaders, energy and digital experts, innovators and visionaries to explore how AI & Data, sector coupling, cyber resilience and AI platforms are already reshaping Europe’s energy system — and what this means for organisations in practice. The quality of dialogue and openness of exchange left participants genuinely energised. 

As the energy sector becomes increasingly digital and interconnected, the stakes for cybersecurity have never been higher. A successful cyberattack on critical energy infrastructure could have devastating consequences for millions of people. At the same time, policymakers across Europe are grappling with how to accelerate the energy transition while ensuring that the new systems are secure, efficient, and accessible to all. This post explores the latest initiatives in cybersecurity, the role of policy in driving change, and the often-overlooked importance of the human factor in the energy transition. 

As energy systems become more digital, they also become more vulnerable. Andrej Bregar from Informatika presented the NGSOC (Next-Generation Security Operations Centre) project, a comprehensive EU-funded initiative to strengthen cybersecurity in the energy sector. The project demonstrates how AI-driven threat detection, real-time anomaly analysis, and collaborative cyber threat intelligence sharing can protect Europe’s increasingly digitalized energy infrastructure. 

The NGSOC project integrates advanced tools like the Behavioural Intrusion Prevention System (BIPS) with over 80% detection accuracy and the NG-SIEM for real-time event correlation. These tools enable automated incident response and collective defense mechanisms against sophisticated cyberattacks targeting critical energy assets. 

In Slovenia, Gorazd Rolih from ELES presented the ALiEnS-SOC project, a strategic initiative to strengthen cybersecurity in the country’s energy sector. The project aims to establish a national Security Operations Center (SOC) for the energy sector, leveraging an AI-driven system for real-time threat detection, analysis, and autonomous response, ensuring compliance with EU legislation like NIS2. 

Jožek Gruškovnjak of SAP provided a clear, actionable framework for executives seeking to harness AI. He argued that to truly leverage AI, organizations must manage the convergence of IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational Technology). His “executive playbook” for the short term consists of four essential actions: 

1. Leveragethe Cloud: Cloud platforms provide the scalability and flexibility needed to deploy AI solutions across the organization. 

2. Get Your Data in Order:Data is the fuel for AI. Without clean, well-organized data, AI models will fail. This is often the most challenging step, butit’s non-negotiable. 

3. Embed AI into Business Processes:Don’tjust add AI as a layer on top of existing processes. Redesign your processes around AI to unlock its full potential. 

4. Lead the Change:AI adoption requires leadership commitment and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

This strategic approach moves AI from a buzzword to a core business driver, enabling organizations to compete in the digital age. 

Filip Kowalski, also from SAP, showcased how AI is revolutionizing asset lifecycle management. He explained that SAP’s AI-first approach, with its system of interconnected AI agents, can automate and optimize everything from maintenance planning to field service dispatch. The key insight is that AI should be viewed as a collaborator that works alongside human experts, augmenting their capabilities by processing vast amounts of unstructured data and automating complex tasks. 

The panel discussion “The Rise of AI in Energy: From Algorithms to Autonomous Systems,” moderated by Gorazd Ažman (BPT) with Davor Aničić (Velebit AI), Štefan Furlan (Dodona Analytics), and Filip Kowalski (SAP), offered crucial insights into how to successfully adopt AI in the energy sector. 

The panelists agreed that building trust in AI requires starting with small, tangible pilot projects. The concept of a “minimum lovable product”—delivering something valuable to the client in a matter of weeks—was highlighted as a key strategy for gaining buy-in and demonstrating immediate value. 

The discussion also framed AI not just as a tool, but as a future collaborator. AI agents are poised to work alongside human experts, augmenting their capabilities and freeing up human talent for higher-level strategic work. As one panelist noted, AI will not just optimize existing processes but will fundamentally change the industries we operate in. The example of autonomous vehicles was used to illustrate this point: the logic for placing EV chargers will shift entirely from driver convenience to the operational and economic needs of the autonomous fleet and the grid itself. 

Perhaps the most important insight from the panel was this: technology alone is not enough. Human behavior remains a critical variable in energy consumption. Overcoming inefficient habits requires a combination of user education and smart control systems that can prevent wasteful energy use without sacrificing comfort. 

This is where the energy transition often stumbles. We can build the smartest buildings and the most efficient grids, but if people don’t understand how to use them or aren’t motivated to change their behavior, the potential gains are lost. Effective policy, clear communication, and thoughtful system design that makes the right choice the easy choice are all essential. 

AI is becoming a core operating capability of the energy sector, but its success depends as much on people and processes as on algorithms. 
The discussions at Digital Energy Summit 2025 made one thing clear: organizations that combine strong executive leadership, clean and trusted data, secure digital foundations, and user-centric design are the ones turning AI into measurable business value. 

Cyber resilience, regulatory alignment, and human behavior are not side topics; they are enablers of scale. Without them, AI remains a pilot. With them, it becomes a system-wide accelerator of efficiency, resilience, and competitiveness. 

DES is where Europe’s digital energy leaders meet to read the direction of the transition,  before it becomes mainstream and where the rubber meets the road. 

The quality of dialogue and openness of exchange left participants genuinely energised. DES 25 was this year delivered in cooperation with partners Informatika, Orgrez, NITES, Cigre – Cired. 

Join us at the next edition of EU Regional Digital Summit: 2 – 3 December 2026 in Ljubljana. Be part of the conversations shaping Europe’s digital energy future – and consider bringing your own use case to the stage.