ABB Serbia Technology and Innovation Forum 2026: A Day Dedicated to Knowledge, Technology, and Partnership
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From smart circuit breakers and SF₆-free switchgear to the electric motor drives of the future: technologies that are shaping energy and industry today
How can we simultaneously ensure more energy, greater system reliability, and a lower environmental impact? This is one of the key questions currently facing the energy sector, industry, and infrastructure projects worldwide.
ABB sees the answer to this challenge in connecting electrification, digitalization, and sustainability – areas that are increasingly intertwined in modern power systems. In a world where the need for electricity is growing, and requirements for decarbonization and more efficient use of resources are also becoming stronger, technology is no longer merely a business support. It is becoming a key driver of transformation.
This is precisely why ABB brought together partners, customers, and experts from the fields of energy and industry on 19 May at the ABB Serbia Technology and Innovation Forum, held at the Radisson Collection Old Mill Belgrade hotel. The aim of the event was not only to present new products but also to open a dialogue on how modern technologies can help companies improve system reliability, increase energy efficiency, and meet the requirements of sustainable development.
The strong interest in the event and a hall filled to capacity confirmed the importance of these topics for the domestic market today. The Forum was opened by the directors of ABB Serbia’s business units, Nenad Dlačić and Milan Jevremović, who emphasized the importance of partnership, knowledge exchange, and working together to find answers to the challenges that await the energy sector and industry in the years ahead.
The program was guided by Ivan Vasiljević and Isidora Cvetković, who connected presentations by local and international ABB experts into a unified story about the future of power infrastructure.
When a Circuit Breaker Becomes a Source of Data
The initial presentation was delivered by Matteo Lazzar, ABB Global Product Manager for the ABB SACE Emax platform, who presented the new generation of SACE Emax 3 air circuit breakers. Lazzar pointed to the trends shaping the development of power infrastructure, highlighting that the global low-voltage circuit breaker market is recording average annual growth of around eight per cent, while the development of data centers, infrastructure, and energy systems is further increasing the requirements for reliability and availability of electricity. In this context, SACE Emax 3 was presented as a solution that goes beyond the traditional role of a protective circuit breaker and becomes an active part of a digitalized power system.
Thanks to the Ekip Aware platform, the device continuously monitors system conditions and enables real-time, data-driven decision-making. Its particular advantage is the possibility of a digital upgrade without replacing the device, while retaining the same dimensions as the previous Emax 2 generation, enabling simple modernization of existing facilities and offering more than 30 available digital functionalities. Among the solutions that attracted the greatest attention were continuous thermal monitoring of connections and advanced Arc Flash protection, which enable earlier fault detection, increase personnel safety, and support the transition to predictive maintenance. Further confirmation of its advanced digital capabilities is that the SACE Emax 3 is the world’s first air circuit breaker to hold IEC 62443-4-2 SL2 cybersecurity certification.
IN FOCUS:
- The Baroque Pearl of Vojvodina Revived Through Tradition and Nature
- Plastic Waste from Vojvodina’s Fields Transformed into New Value
- Regeneration: Tailings That Have Become a Resource for Sustainability
Sustainability Without Compromise
One of the central topics of the Forum was the sustainability of power infrastructure, discussed by Pietro Poggiato, ABB Global Product Manager for UniSec Air. His presentation focused on changes introduced by European regulation in the field of fluorinated gases and the gradual phase-out of SF₆ technology in medium-voltage switchgear. In response to these requirements, ABB has developed UniSec Air. This medium-voltage switchgear solution uses dry air as the insulating medium, with a global warming potential equal to zero. Particular interest was generated by the fact that the system retains the same dimensions as existing UniSec switchgear, enabling users to modernize without additional construction work. Poggiato also presented the new GSec Air technology, which combines vacuum current interruption with dry-air insulation, without the use of harmful gases. In this way, the high standards of safety, reliability, and sustainability that today’s users expect from medium-voltage switchgear are brought together. An additional step towards digitalization is represented by the UniSec Air Digital concept, which enables the integration of a wide range of sensors, monitoring of substation access, and remote monitoring of equipment operation.
Data as the Foundation of Smart Grids
The role of data in modern power systems was discussed by Adam Kvítek, ABB Sales Manager, who presented ABB’s portfolio of sensors and instrument transformers. Through practical examples, it was shown how modern substations are becoming a source of valuable data that enables more precise system management, better maintenance planning, and greater grid reliability. The latest generation of sensors and instrument transformers forms the basis of digital substations and smart grids, in which data becomes a resource as important as electricity itself.
Electric Motor Drives as Drivers of the Energy Transition
The presentation by Isidora Cvetković and Stefan Pavlović, dedicated to new-generation electric motor drives and their role in the energy transition, attracted particular attention from the participants. In an overview of the latest ABB solutions, they showed how the combination of highly efficient electric motors, frequency converters, and digital services enables the industry to simultaneously reduce energy consumption, increase productivity, and extend equipment service life. As highlighted during the presentation, electric motor systems today consume approximately half of the total electricity used in industry, making them one of the greatest opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
Technologies That Can Be Seen and Touched
In addition to the expert program, participants had the opportunity to learn directly about ABB technologies through the exhibition area, where electrical cabinets, relay protection devices, sensors, PLC systems, frequency converters, and electric vehicle chargers were presented. The ABB eFormula simulator attracted particular interest, with many guests trying their hand at a virtual race, while the best result was rewarded with an ABB electric vehicle charger. This activity symbolically connected the world of electromobility with the technologies that ABB is developing for a more sustainable future of transport.
After the formal part of the program, discussions continued on Radisson’s piazza, where participants exchanged views on the challenges they face in their daily work, future projects, and opportunities for cooperation. These encounters showed precisely that technological innovations achieve their greatest value when they become part of a dialogue between those who develop them and those who apply them every day.
The ABB Serbia Technology and Innovation Forum confirmed that the domestic market has a strong need for professional gatherings that bring together people of different profiles around common challenges and solutions. At a time when the energy transition is becoming an everyday reality, the exchange of knowledge, experience, and concrete technological solutions remains one of the most important prerequisites for successfully shaping the energy and industrial future.
ABB d. o. o. Beograd
The story was published in Energy portal Magazine CLEAN ENERGY
