CEO Colin Gounden Interviewed by The Denki Shimbun

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Via Science CEO Colin Gounden was interviewed by The Denki Shimbun, a Japanese energy newspaper, to discuss our joint initiative with TEPCO. The article was originally published in Japanese and we have translated a portion of it below.

The Denki Shimbun

TEPCO and Via Science announced a joint initiative using artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent failure of power transmission equipment. The proof of concept (PoC) will use Via Science’s technology to predict the deterioration of ACSRs and compression joint sleeves. These predictions will optimize TEPCO’s process of inspecting what equipment needs repairs, improving efficiency and reducing cost.

In this initiative, TEPCO will provide Via Science data related to equipment installation location and inspection history. Via Science will analyze the data to determine what factors may contribute to failure.

Although TEPCO has utilized AI in the past to assess risk across their infrastructure, the traditional “black box” systems made it difficult to understand the reasoning of AI decisions. TEPCO said Via Science’s technology provides “a clear causal relationship between data points, and it can be expected to expand the range of utilization.”

“We used AI to analyze equipment operation data and prioritize risk across equipment, which helps reduce cost,” said Gounden. “The results of this PoC could be applied across similar power transmission equipment globally.”

“Our partnership with TEPCO will give us great support as we expand our business across Asia, including Japan. We are excited to build a long-term relationship with TEPCO,” said Gounden.

TEPCO made a strategic investment in Via Science in November 2016 to gain experience with the company’s proprietary AI technology.

NOTE: We have stayed true to the original intent of the article and apologize for any mistranslations.

Via Science and TEPCO Partnership Featured in Engerati

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Engerati, a global network for energy professionals, featured Via Science’s partnership with TEPCO in their recent article: “Energy transition Japan: ‘We have to disrupt ourselves,’ says TEPCO”.

The article discusses how Japan’s energy retail industry is evolving as more companies invest in innovative technologies. TEPCO’s strategic investment in Via Science is highlighted as an example of this trend. In reference to the partnership, Hirokazu Yamaguchi, Head of Global Innovations for TEPCO, said: “Via Science’s direct experience with US energy agencies and their ability to support our challenges, such as high volumes of data, regulatory transparency requirements and very long-term risk planning needs for multi-billion dollar investments, made them the best match for TEPCO and our customers.”

Last month, Via Science announced its joint initiative with TEPCO, which will use “analytics and machine learning to predict and prevent power disruption due to failure of ACSRs and compression joint sleeves.” This application is the first of many related to risk assessment and predictive maintenance to come from the partnership.