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Powering the Future: Power Electronics

EventWorkshops

After four strong Powering the Future workshops last year, we are proud to announce the first edition for 2026 at Thor Park in Genk. This year, we once again bring together four to five in-depth sessions that place industrial and strategic themes of the energy transition at the centre. The opening session focuses on a critical yet often underestimated pillar of electrification: power electronics.

03-03-2026 EnergyVille 1 - Thor Park 8310 3600 Genk

Power Electronics: The Hidden Hero Industrial Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore

While the energy transition spotlight mainly falls on solar, wind, EVs and green factories, the real enabler of the energy transition works behind the scenes: power electronics.

These conversion and control technologies are the backbone of electrification, squeezing more value from every watt, stabilizing DC flows, and turning volatility into strategic advantage. For manufacturing and energy leaders under cost, uptime and decarbonization pressure, mastering power electronics is no longer optional; it’s the lever that lifts efficiency, resilience and margins simultaneously.

That’s why we invite you on 3 March to a Powering the Future workshop on power electronics, where you’ll gain insight into the technology working behind the scenes that makes electrification possible.

Our workshop opens with the strategic “why” and the system “how”: power electronics at the heart of electrification, DC grids for industry, and grid resilience, brought to life by experts from organizations such as EnergyVille/KU Leuven, Agoria‑Sirris and leading inverter innovators (e.g., CE+T…).

We then dive into the industrial state‑of‑the‑art. Expect pragmatic insights on high‑performance converter systems and DC grids, and reliability & grid integration.

Finally, we address one of the fastest win‑areas for factories: electrifying heating & cooling with heat‑pump elements and manufacturing know‑how. The outcome for leaders: concrete pathways to cut energy cost and CO₂ while strengthening operational continuity.

Secure your seat on 3 March, align your roadmap, and put power electronics, the hidden hero, firmly on your C‑suite agenda.

Programme

12.15-13.00: Welcome and sandwich lunch

13.00-13.50: Setting the scene

    • Welcome and opening remarks: Bram De Wispelaere (EnergyVille)
    • Power Electronics at the heart of Electrification: Wilmar Martinez (EnergyVille / KU Leuven)
    • SiC and GaN in the power conversion industry: beyond device-level metrics: Benoit Bidaine (CE+T Power)
    • Resilience in the current and future grid: Jean-Marc Timmermans (Agoria)

13.50-15.20: Industrial State-of-the-Art

      • Power Electronics & Conversion
        • Demonstration and validation platform for DC and Power Electronics: DemonstraThor & DC grid: Patrice Fleurquin (OTLL – Open Thor Living Lab)
        • The relevance of power electronics-based power systems for industry: Glenn Emmers (BASF)
      • EV Charging Infrastructure
        • Smart Charging Network Rollout in Flanders: Luc Reynders (EnergyVille / VITO)
        • Hardware for battery charging. Efficiency and Size as key: Hans Wouters (EnergyVille / KU Leuven)
      • Electrification of critical loads
        • Electric drives: Peter Van-Den-Heede (ABB)
        • Data Center Infrastructure in Belgium Jurgen Caeyman (Automation)

15.20-15.50: Coffee Break, Networking, Poster Expo

15.50-16.45: Panel discussion with Industry Experts 

    • Wilmar Martinez (EnergyVille/KU Leuven)
    • Benoit Bidaine (CE+T)
    • Piet Vanassche (mtuition-Kairos)
    • Jordi Everts (Neways Technologies)
    • Giel Van den Broeck (Direct Energy Partners)

16.45-17.30: Looking ahead – Visionary Talks 

      • Next-Generation Converter Control: Piet Vanassche (mtuition)
      • The future of Power Electronics & DC Grids: Simon Ravyts (EnergyVille/KU Leuven)
      • Ecosystem Growth in Limburg: Sam Jordens (POM Limburg)
      • Educating the Engineer of the Future: Annick Dexters (P4ELECS)

17.30-19.00: Networking reception

Register here!