“The weekly change in the canteen’s menu is the biggest change we’re facing.” This or something similar was the public perception of the challenges of an energy supplier in the 1990s. What annoyed us a little back then makes us smile from today’s point of view and at least gives us a glimpse of the truth. Please don’t misunderstand us. We have always faced challenges that drive our companies to innovate and change. We have always responded to these challenges with dynamism, found smart solutions and implemented them efficiently. But today everything is different: The current, globally visible processes of change, the multitude of topics raised at the same time and their relevance to areas beyond pure energy supply has a completely new dimension: Digitisation, flexibility, security of supply, energy storage, decentralisation, integrated energy supply across consumption sectors, mobility, climate protection and, of course, market design are only some aspects worthy of mention. It is remarkable that power generation is always at the beginning of the chain: Digitisation, security of supply, power storage, integrated energy and e-mobility are neither conceivable nor feasible without generation.

These completely new requirements are of course challenging, but above all they offer one thing: Opportunities for the future. We will support to shape the energy world of the future. We have the expertise and experience. This is a great honour, but also a great responsibility. What could be more exciting?

Against this background, we would like to welcome you at the VGB Congress 2018 in Munich under the motto of

Power Generation in Transition.

We will discuss, learn from each other and develop ideas for the energy supply of the future.

Together with you as participants, our expert and eminent speakers and the companies at the accompanying trade exhibition, we will highlight the latest innovative solutions for technical and commercial change in power generation in the presentations and discussions.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Ulrike Wolf of Bavarian State Ministry for Economy, Energy and Transport, who will devote further atten-tion to our topics in her greeting address at the opening of the VGB Congress.

Sonja van Renssen of ep energy post will moderate our plenary session entitled “The European development towards CO₂ neutrality”.

For the technical sections, we will present the following topics:

• Integrated energy supply across consumption sectors
• Power plant optimisation
• Storage – experience & potential
• Progress through digitisation – Productivity | Cost-effectiveness
• Combined heat and power | Gas to power technologies

In the 20 presentations, the speakers will address questions which are of paramount importance to the companies and which can provide an important impetus for the future.

Our dialogue forum focuses on the topics of “Optimisation of power plant productivity”, “Progress through digitisation in operation” and “Reduction of emissions”.

We are also pleased to welcome you in Munich together with our international partner organisation IERE – Electric Power Technology Platform. As a participant in the VGB Congress you are cordially invited to attend the presentations at the IERE workshop, which will take place in parallel under the joint event motto “Power Generation in Transition”.

We are looking forward to seeing you and listening to your contributions at the VGB Congress 2018, the industry meeting for power and heat generation. There, in the Munich, we will discuss the way forward, our ideas, our activities and work for the power generation of the future, its technologies and opportunities in the marketplace. A varied menu during the breaks is of course also provided for, even if this time it will certainly not be discussed as a change topic.