André Schache, Business Development at Vattenfall Wärme Berlin AG ⭐️
Tell us about your professional background and your role in the company.
I have been in the energy branch for more than 20 years. I started as a Business Consultant after my university degree in Business Administration with a focus on strategic projects, M&A, process optimization, and re-organizations. I joined Vattenfall in 2010, starting as a Product Manager for B2B gas and electricity products and then moved to Business Area Heat of Vattenfall in 2015. Since then, I have been working on Innovation and new sustainable business models that buy-in into Vattenfall’s purpose of being fossil-free within one generation
What are projects that you’re working on right now?
We, as a team, are working on projects with regard to sector coupling, energy management solutions, waste heat, and cross-functional area development projects. I am responsible for the internal innovation management program “Heart for Heat,” where we explore new ideas for the topics mentioned above together with internal and external partners.
What topics are essential for your company? Why?
Contribute to the energy transition in general and the heat transition in specific. The Heating sector is still one of the CO2 contributors, and we are working on solutions to lower this. We have a clear commitment to phase out coal-based power plants until 2030. This affects our district heating grid and our decentral energy solutions, and we need to integrate other external heat sources and support our customers with smart energy solutions to lower their CO2 emissions.
What are the main challenges you see in your work?
Anchoring Innovation as an integral enabler to shape our business for the future beside process efficiency and cost reduction.
Why is the Smart City topic important for your company?
Smart City is important because we are one of the biggest local infrastructure companies with significant opportunities to contribute with our assets and expertise to transform Berlin into a smart city.
Why is it essential for Vattenfall to be part of the Berlin Smart City ecosystem?
Collaboration is key to increasing our network and partnering up with other companies and startups to achieve our ambitious goals. Smart cities are not realizable without smart solutions from critical stakeholders who are part of the city. It takes a combined approach. That’s why the smart city does not stand alone. It is a shared vision for everyone.
What were the reasons why you joined BIA Smart City Hub?
We join the Smart City Hub program because impulses from the external world trigger our mindset for new ideas beyond our company horizon, new alliances to tackle the social and environmental challenges of the smart city of the future. We see the benefit of networks like this to increase our visibility and outlook for finding new partners.
