Rui Pena

Rui Pena is a senior executive with over three decades of experience in the energy sector, leading large-scale technological transformation across Portugal's electricity distribution network. Graduating in Electrical Engineering from the University of Coimbra, he began his career in telecommunications before joining EDP, where he has held successive leadership roles at the intersection of engineering, operations, and digital transformation. Throughout his career, he has consistently driven modernisation programmes that reshaped grid management, automation, protection systems, and operational architectures. He played a pivotal role in the nationwide deployment of smart grid infrastructure in Portugal, leading strategic initiatives such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), asset management transformation, and the integration of digital systems into core grid operations. Beyond technology deployment, he has contributed to organisational redesign and the evolution of operating models required to support a more intelligent, resilient, and data-driven network. Currently, within the Innovation and Technology Development Division, he focuses on technological standardisation and leads forward-looking initiatives supporting the energy transition. His work addresses critical challenges such as grid observability, flexibility enablement, advanced asset technologies, and innovative solutions for network construction and maintenance — positioning the distribution grid as a central platform for decarbonisation and electrification. At the European level, he is a member of the E.DSO Technology & Knowledge Sharing Committee, contributing to strategic dialogue and knowledge exchange on the future of distribution system operators in the context of Europe's energy transition.