MAARSSEN, the Netherlands, June 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The new cooperation supports the international utility sector in implementing renewable energy and energy storage solutions into their grids  

VDE Association, one of the leading technical associations based in Germany, and Clarion Energy, one of the world's leading event organizers, announced today a new strategic global partnership. VDE and Clarion will be closely working together on the Utility Week events in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

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The objective of the cooperation is to educate and discuss with the utilities and energy start-ups about the importance of quality assurance and the upcoming challenges in digitalization. These new trends, including smart grids, IT cybersecurity, blockchain and grid interconnection services, are transforming the energy industry worldwide and utilities should be ready to capitalize on these opportunities. An integral element of the cooperation of Clarion Energy and VDE supports specifically small- and medium-sized utilities and new start-up companies with tailored mentorship and matchmaking platforms focused on quality assurance within the Utility Week.

Clarion Energy's Utility Week global series takes place across Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe, attracting and uniting more global smart energy professionals than any other forum. The aim is to push forward the energy transition debate across all fronts, both on a thematic level and in a geographic sense, because the energy paradigm is very different and advancing at different speeds across the globe.

The Utility Week events are a platform for showcasing expert knowledge, innovative solutions and foresight from the industry, as well as connecting utility, municipality, investors, startups, young talent and commercial decision makers with technology and service providers. The next in the Utility Week series is European Utility Week. The event expects to attract over 12,000 smart energy professionals to Messe Wien, Vienna, Austria between 6-8 November 2018.

The Utility Week offering has recently been strengthened by Clarion Energy's acquisition of PennWell, bringing together two of the industry's most well-respected names to create one of the largest events companies in the world. PennWell's leading events including DistribuTECH, POWER-GEN International and HydroVision International have been added to Clarion Energy's Utility Week and Future Energy events to form the Power & Energy Series from Clarion Energy, a World Leading Portfolio of Events.

Headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, the VDE Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies is one of the largest technical and scientific associations in Europe, with 36,000 members (including 1,300 companies) and 1,600 employees. The VDE embraces science, standardization work and product testing and certification under one roof. The association's thematic focuses range from the energy transition to industry 4.0, smart traffic and smart living to IT security.

Ansgar Hinz, the CEO of the VDE Association, said, "VDE looks forward to partnering with Clarion Energy to support the global utilities' needs in investing in secure, reliable and networked energy infrastructure as the world transitions into a smarter grid. Under the framework of the Utility Week, Clarion Energy and VDE will work closely with the industry to develop future-proof solutions for the benefit of utilities."

"We are excited to have VDE as our global technical competence partner in the global Utility Week events. Utilities are facing challenges in transitioning from the traditional top-down grid to a digital, networked grid with many energy generation sources. VDE is a leader in energy and smart technologies and we are thrilled to have them onboard to advise the energy industry about these transformational opportunities," highlighted Rick Wall, Managing Director of Clarion Energy's Global Utility Group.

About VDE: 

VDE, the Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technology, is one of the largest technical and scientific associations in Europe. VDE is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main and is represented in Berlin as well as Brussels.

VDE has a strong presence in the renewable energy industry through its subsidiary, VDE Renewables. VDE Renewables focuses on certification and non-certification activities in the area of quality assurance for renewables. It works closely with leading institutions around the world, such as the VDE Testing and Certification Institute and Fraunhofer ISE, to carry out testing of components and systems according to the highest levels of quality. It focuses on bankability and insurability by working with the financial industry and tailoring products to meet stringent requirements. Find out more at http://www.vde.com.

About Clarion Events: 

Clarion Events operates over 180 events in 50 countries from 15 offices in the UK, the US, South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Singapore, UAE, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. Clarion can trace its roots back to 1947 and takes great pride in being one of the oldest independent event organizers in the UK. More recently, the firm has developed an international portfolio of brands and now has interests in a number of global vertical industries including energy, security and defense, electronics, technology, fashion, retail, gaming and marketing. The teams at Clarion create uniquely effective and stimulating environments that can serve as a platform to build businesses, enhance customer relationships and accelerate product awareness. Learn more at http://www.clarionevents.com .

SOURCE Clarion Energy