Schneider Electric on Wednesday released research showing demand for autonomous operations in the energy and chemical industries will expand sharply by 2030. The company published its Global Autonomous Maturity Report based on a survey of 400 senior executives in the energy and chemical industries across 12 countries. The survey covered 400 senior energy industry executives in 12 countries across four major regions - North America, Europe, Asia and the GCC - and was based on desk research and interviews with global energy and chemical industry stakeholders.

According to the report, 31.5 percent of respondents picked advancing autonomy as their top strategy over the next five years, and the share was seen rising to 44 percent within 10 years. Executives cited business pressures as driving greater urgency for autonomy. They said delayed adoption could lead to risks such as higher operating costs at 59 percent, worsening talent shortages at 52 percent and weaker competitiveness at 48 percent.

Concerns cited in the adoption process included high upfront investment costs at 34 percent, legacy systems at 30 percent, internal resistance at 27 percent, cybersecurity concerns at 26 percent and regulatory uncertainty at 25 percent. The share of respondents who viewed autonomy as a low priority was less than 5 percent globally.

The report said electrification, automation and digitalisation are combining to place the energy industry at a major inflection point. Surging AI demand centred on hyperscale clouds and data centres is weighing on global energy systems. Power demand is expected to reach about 1,000 TWh by 2030, double the current level, it said.

In this environment, 49 percent of respondents picked AI as the most important factor in accelerating autonomy. They also cited cybersecurity technology, cloud and edge computing, digital twins, advanced process control and open software-defined automation.

Gwenel Avies Vuye (그웨넬 아비스 위에), senior vice president of the energy management division at Schneider Electric, said companies worldwide have already achieved about 70 percent autonomy and plan to reach 80 percent by 2030. "Companies that scale autonomy now will lead industrial competitiveness in the future," she said.

Devan Pillay (데반 필레이), president of the heavy industry segment, explained that Schneider Electric is combining its process control and power management technologies with AVEVA's digital technology and industrial intelligence. He said it is implementing an integrated software-defined architecture that enables prediction, adaptation and autonomous optimisation with minimal intervention through AI-based digital twins alongside real-time visibility.