Accelerating the Energy Transition: Martin Beyer on Smart Grids, Digitalisation and Climate Resilience

During this interview with World Climate Foundation, Martin Beyer from Siemens Smart Infrastructure outlines how advanced grid and building technologies are becoming central to global sustainability efforts.  

Beyer notes that buildings represent a great opportunity for emission reduction. Through smarter building technologies and increased energy efficiency, Siemens helps clients cut operational emissions while improving performance and resilience. A core challenge is the unprecedented grid expansion required to support renewables and electrification. 

“What we need to build in the next seven to twelve years is comparable to what was constructed in the last hundred.” 

To meet this demand, digitalisation is critical. Tools such as grid digital twins allow operators to simulate, optimise and expand grid infrastructure far more efficiently. 

Beyond efficiency gains, digital twins enable:  

• Smarter grid operations amid fluctuating renewable supply and new power consumption patterns  

• More strategic, data-driven investment decisions for physical grid expansion  

  
  

Beyer describes this as a “beautiful bridge” between climate mitigation and climate resilience.  

Looking ahead, Beyer highlights the importance of collaboration between governments, utilities and industry. Accelerating the electrification of industrial heat must become a top priority, viewing it as one of the key building blocks for achieving deep decarbonisation. 

The interview was recorded at the World Climate Summit & The Investment COP 2025 in Belém. 

Watch the full conversation: 

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Martin H. Baier

Head of Sustainability, Siemens Smart Infrastructure

Dr. Martin Henrik Baier is the Head of Sustainability of Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI), a position he has held since July 2022. In this role, Martin is responsible for three sustainability-related action fields. First, sustainability business development, including portfolio and strategy, communications support, and sales force enablement. Second, implementation of the Siemens DEGREE program with a particular focus on reducing the CO2 footprint of SI. Third, compliance with and leverage of sustainability reporting requirements, including EU Taxonomy and CSRD. 

Martin is a member of SI's executive leadership team, reporting to the CEO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure and he has a dotted line to the Siemens Global Head of Sustainability. Prior to his current role, Martin was responsible for the execution of strategic projects in the field of organization, investor relations, and sustainability, directly reporting to a Siemens Managing Board member as Head of the Executive Office. He was also the program manager for the  Siemens-wide digitalization program, including rollouts into key regions like China and India, and the establishment of strategic partnerships in the digital space. 

At The Boston Consulting Group, Martin specialized in the Renewable Energy and Medical Technology industries. As a project leader, he developed new accounts and ran the M&A chain multiple times. Before that, Martin worked as an experimental and theoretical physicist at EPFL Switzerland where he developed and fabricated a novel single-photon source for applications in quantum computing, and at Siemens in the field of photovoltaics. Martin holds a Master’s in Physics from the Technical University of Munich as well as a PhD in Physics and Photonics from EPFL Switzerland.