SIEMENS

“Let me show you around. This is our showroom tunnel, which is equipped with countless special cameras, sensors, projectors, and 3D effects. It’s a miracle of technology!” says Prof. Chandan Prakash, the Executive Director of Global Optimum, to his guest, American journalist Jonathan Cleese. Prakash is leading him through a tunnel that reminds Cleese of the glassed-in tunnels of the aquarium in his home town. When he was a boy, he would often watch exotic sea animals at close range in those tunnels. Here, however, he isn’t seeing sharks, rays or turtles; instead, he’s looking at landscapes, industrial complexes, and power plants. Prof. Prakash notices the mixture of enthusiasm and amazement on his guest’s face. “You haven’t seen anything yet,” he says. “What will really amaze you is the stories I’m about to tell you about these images. Let’s go!” Together they step into the projection tunnel that serves as the organization’s showroom for demonstrating to visitors and potential customers exactly what the institution does.

“As I’m sure you know, Global Optimum has set itself the goal of optimizing infrastructures of every kind,” Prakash begins. Jonathan nods and continues the professor’s train of thought, adding, “The experts from the areas of energy, health, and production who are voluntary members of Global Optimum all have a shared goal. They want to use their expertise to help developing countries create more efficient infrastructures and thus increase their prosperity and quality of life. In the process, they work closely with local governments and businesses.”

It’s clear that Jonathan has done his homework. Prof. Prakash gives him an approving look. “Come this way. I want to give you a detailed look at the work we’re doing now.” He points to a projection of several hospitals. “It was through this project that we first made a name for ourselves all over the world. Our aim was to improve healthcare in thinly populated regions. This example comes from a region in Latin America. All of the people there used to have to travel to distant hospitals, in some cases for many hours, if they had even the smallest medical problem. We successfully decentralized the system and set up a healthcare clinic in every community. Today the data from medical examinations are transmitted electronically from the clinics to a central hospital where a diagnosis is made and any necessary therapies are started.”

Jonathan nods. “That keeps the healthcare system lean in terms of its complexity and costs, and it increases the life expectancy of the rural population. It’s a great system!” he says. “Thank you,” says Prakash. “Let’s go on.” Prakash leads the journalist to a 3D projection that features spectacular temple compounds in a Southeast Asian setting. “This looks like a blueprint of an entire country,” says Jonathan. “That’s exactly what it is,” replies the professor. “Here we see a country that was almost completely isolated from the rest of the world for many years. It opened its doors to international business a few decades ago, but at that time only a small part of the country was electrified. This meant that the economy stagnated for years even after this opening-up process had begun. Having analyzed the status quo of the country’s energy structure and its economy, we developed a detailed plan to increase the effectiveness of both systems.”

Jonathan is fascinated. “What was the plan?” he asks. “Our plan, which was implemented over the years by investors and the government, included the expansion of hydropower, for example,” replies Prakash. “Back then, its untapped potential in this country was gigantic, and that was true of other renewable energies too. At the same time, we electrified the country on a broad scale with HVDCT technology, which makes it possible to transport electricity over long distances with very low losses. And thanks to the use of bacteria to separate raw materials, we were able to develop new production technologies.”

Prakash points to several virtual power plants on the wall. “We also installed efficient combined cycle power plants and modernized the country’s existing power plant park to make it much more efficient,” he continues. “We wanted to keep the power grid stable in spite of the increased proportion of fluctuating wind energy and solar energy. We also wanted to reduce costs. That’s why we installed automatic load shedding systems in industrial plants and households. In addition, through our unique energy-saving program we drastically reduced demand for electricity. The interesting thing about all this is that the energy savings are enabling many of the technologies we installed to pay for themselves. Meanwhile, thanks to the use of renewable energies and natural gas production within the country, only small quantities of expensive raw materials need to be imported. Today this country’s economy is flourishing, thanks primarily to the investments of international companies.”

At this point, the journalist is even more amazed. “You’ve practically revolutionized an entire country. You can’t do any better than that, can you?” he asks. “You’re right,” the professor replies with a broad smile. “As they say, it’s the little things that count.” He leads Jonathan to another projection.

“Our group is currently developing a replicable model for increasing the efficiency of supply chains in industry. This includes methods for increasing the rate of materials recycling. We hope to use this model to help many countries overcome the need to import raw materials, and also to counter the global scarcity of raw materials. In principle, this is very easy to do. You could do this too, at least at home within your own four walls,” says Prakash. With a frown, Jonathan asks, “How is that possible? What exactly would I have to do?” “Oh, it begins with the methods every one of us has heard countless times from our parents: put out the light and separate your garbage!” says the efficiency guru with a smile.