The next era of power system operations is taking shape through digitalization, artificial intelligence, and intelligent automation. To help utilities and navigate this change, Fraunhofer FIT and Accenture have published a white paper, titled “Transformation Journey Towards Software-Defined Power System Operations”.
The white paper provides a comprehensive blueprint for how utilities can transition from legacy, monolithic Operational Technology (OT) environments to modular, secure, and software-defined architectures. It explores the convergence of OT, IT, and AI as a driving force behind the modernization of critical infrastructure and the creation of agile, data-driven, and resilient energy systems.
Christian Hille (Accenture) and Antonello Monti (Fraunhofer FIT) first presented the white paper in a keynote session at the
2025 Linux Foundation Energy Summit in Aachen, Germany.
From Legacy Systems to Intelligent, Modular Architectures
The white paper outlines how traditional OT systems – long valued for reliability and stability – must evolve to meet the operational and cybersecurity demands of a decentralized, renewable, and data-centric energy ecosystem. Through the adoption of open standards, modular components, and API-driven interoperability, utilities can unlock faster innovation cycles, improve flexibility, and ensure long-term control of their digital assets.
The authors emphasize the importance of AI, digital twins, and testbeds as foundational capabilities for predictive operations, as well as zero-trust cybersecurity and post-quantum readiness to securely protect critical systems against evolving threats. By integrating these technologies through cloud and edge computing, utilities can achieve real-time visibility, automation, and resilience across their grid operations.
A Collaborative Blueprint for the Energy Transition
The white paper provides a practical roadmap for how organizations can modernize, while ensuring interoperability, resilience, and cyber safety. Grounded in the author’s shared vision for enabling the net-zero transition through software-defined operations, it states that the energy transition requires utilities to move from static control systems to adaptive, software-defined operations. This technological change must be matched by robust governance, clear leadership structures and continuous workforce development to build trust, accountability and operational excellence.
Accelerating the 2035 Grid Vision
The authors call on industry leaders, regulators, and technology providers to act collaboratively in shaping the future grid, which is secure by design, intelligent in operation, and flexible in scale. They conclude that the modernization of OT is not merely a technical upgrade but a strategic transformation, essential for achieving Europe’s decarbonization and digitalization goals.
Read the full whitepaper:
https://s.fhg.de/Transformation-Journey-Towards-Software-Defined-Power-Systems-Operations