Brandpie Energy - Issue 04

Innovating for the future

"Don’t sacrifice the bold ideas. They will pay dividends in the

"Collaboration is key for driving innovation. As businesses, we can get stuck in our own worlds. To move the transition forward, you need different perspectives." Erik Sørensen, Sustainability and Global Partnerships Manager, Modulex

long run." Kevin Kushman, CEO, Electrada

by deep R&D and engineering expertise, this approach ensures innovation is never abstract but always tailored and tangible. Zelestra, too, puts people at the heart of new product development. For them, being customer-centric is more strategy than philosophy. The spark for innovation here always starts with the customer need. When innovation is measured not in novelty but in impact, it succeeds by resonating with the people it is meant to serve. And that resonance is what makes bold ideas possible. Treat bold ideas as resilience For Kevin, the link is obvious: “The more involved your team is in bold ideas and creative thinking, the more resilient a business you will have.” Boldness, in other words, is the surest path to strength. Erik at Modulex agrees but stresses that boldness must be paired with value creation. Innovation that undermines stability is unsustainable; boldness must build, not break. For Jussi, this is about meeting the accelerating pace of change head-on. “The speed of change in almost every industry is accelerating. Energy is the enabler; it’s the bold ideas that allow other technologies to advance.” Skeleton Tech's differentiation, he adds, is refusing to hide behind generic green messaging. “Many companies lead with sustainability narratives. What sets us apart is that we deliver mission-critical power. Our message is different: it is critical, not just green.”

> those that create visible value for people, whether individual customers or entire communities. Put people at the heart of innovation Innovation proves itself in the impact it creates. “We show up when we engage with a customer,” says Kevin. That consistency has delivered near-perfect reliability scores and built trust in a market wary of change. Strong employee culture flows naturally into customer experience, proving that EX and CX are two sides of the same coin. Likewise, at ED Platform, innovation starts with people. Their expertise and lived experience in South Africa’s shifting socio-economic and energy landscape fuel ideas that drive both community development and major infrastructure projects forward. For triPica, relevance is won by stripping away complexity. “We have the technology, but how do we make it relevant for the customer?” asks Sanja. By turning complex energy data, tariffs, and flexibility schemes into clear, personalized energy offers, customers don’t just receive a utility bill, they actively take part in the energy transition rather than remaining passive bystanders. Skeleton Tech takes the same principle further. Many of its solutions are co- developed with customers to fit their precise needs. “Old-school, catalogue- type sales is dying, replaced by bespoke developments,” Jussi explains. Backed

Scarlett agrees that boldness is about differentiation. “Delivering electrons isn’t enough. Customers expect more than just price and project timelines. They want innovative solutions, flexibility, transparency, partnership, and purpose.” Zelestra’s reset from a solar-pure developer to a multi-technology decarbonisation platform was a deliberate act of boldness to remain relevant. “Customer needs were at the center of our evolution,” she explains. This conviction to take leaps is what defines bold resilience. “We’re not afraid to take big steps,” Jussi concludes. “It doesn’t mean we never fail, but we always get there, and then we keep going.” What binds them all businesses together is the recognition that bold ideas are the only form of resilience that works. The innovators’ lesson In these companies, we see a blueprint for leading with innovation: vision that anchors, cultures that create, partnerships that multiply impact, people who carry it forward, and boldness that turns fragility into resilience. Uncertainty is not an excuse for hesitation but a moment for conviction. Or, as Kevin puts it: “Don’t sacrifice the bold ideas. They will pay dividends in the long run.”

$ 35 bn Needed in infrastructure investment to reach the increase in demand.

5 % of US commercial industrial vehicles switching to electric in the next five years.

Brandpie Energy - Issue 04

Innovating for the future

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