Data Center Power Systems 
Location: tbd

The rapid deployment of AI infrastructure is fundamentally reshaping data center power systems. The unprecedented growth in computing density and power demand is driving major changes in power architectures from the power grid down to chip-level power delivery. These developments introduce new technical challenges in system stability, power quality, protection, and grid interconnection that require coordinated advances across power electronics, power systems, and data center engineering. 

This industry forum brings together leading experts from hyperscale cloud providers, data center operators, equipment manufacturers, transmission system operators, and research institutions to provide a comprehensive perspective on the future of data center power systems. The session begins with an overview of the evolution of AI computing infrastructure and its implications for power system design. It then examines stability challenges associated with gigawatt-scale AI training campuses, followed by utility perspectives on technical requirements for grid connection of large data centers. The session further introduces emerging methodologies for stability analysis of hybrid AC-DC architectures, discusses enabling technologies for DC power distribution, and concludes with experimental validation and testing of DC technologies for next-generation data centers. 

The presenters represent organizations at the forefront of AI infrastructure and power system innovation. Collectively, they bring expertise spanning hyperscale data center design and operation, transmission planning, power electronics, grid integration, DC distribution, and system stability. Their combined experience in industrial deployment, standards development, utility operations, and academic research provides attendees with a unique opportunity to learn about both the practical challenges and emerging technologies shaping future data center power systems. 

Grid-Forming Loads: Shifting Stability and Flexibility to the Demand Side 
Location: tbd 

Modern power systems are currently facing the challenge of integrating large shares of variable, non-dispatchable Renewable Energy Sources (RES) such as solar PV and wind power. In contrast to conventional systems based on dispatchable fossil-fuel plants, high-RES grids must deal with variability while keeping reliability and stability within acceptable limits. This requires for advanced control strategies, energy storage solutions, and increased demand-side flexibility to ensure proper system operation. However, the growing presence of power-interfacing converters not only introduces new operational challenges, but also enables new concepts and possibilities, such as Grid-Forming Loads (GFM-L).  

GFM-Ls go beyond the traditional passive role of loads by combining demand balancing with active grid formation through voltage stiffness and synchronization power provided by the loads themselves. By transferring part of the flexibility and stability support to the demand side, it becomes possible to reduce the dependence on generation controllability and allow RES to operate continuously at their Maximum Power Point (MPP), thus minimizing curtailment. In addition to the technical contribution, GFM-Ls open the door to market-driven innovations, enabling new ancillary service products, enhanced demand participation, and value-stacking opportunities for industrial stakeholders. Nevertheless, large-scale implementation requires scalable control architectures, interoperable standards, and viable business models consistent with evolving electricity market frameworks.  

The concept is applicable to isolated systems, weak grids, and future renewable-dominated networks, where potentially millions of coordinated loads could contribute to system stability while maximizing renewable integration. In this sense, GFM-L represent not only a shift in grid operation, but also an opportunity for industrial competitiveness and effective technology transfer.  

This special session will introduce the GFM-L concept, explored by the organisers and some contributors in the Horizon Europe project GridForLoads. Besides, the session will also gather other experts from industry and academia to discuss implementation strategies, system-level impacts, and deployment challenges, followed by an open discussion with the audience.

Sustainable Power Electronics Design: Devices to Systems 
Location: tbc

Power electronics is undergoing a paradigm shift in which sustainability, environmental compatibility, and life‑cycle impact are becoming central design objectives rather than secondary considerations. This session brings together perspectives ranging from power semiconductor technologies and converter design methodologies to system‑level life‑cycle assessment (LCA) and sustainable R&D practices. 

The invited talks explore how next‑generation power electronics can address environmental challenges through advances in wide bandgap devices, efficient and compact converter architectures, material and manufacturing considerations, and life‑cycle‑aware design frameworks. Emphasis is placed on integrating sustainability considerations such as efficiency, reliability, material usage, and end of life impact early in the research and design process. 

Together, these contributions highlight how sustainability is shaping the future of power electronics across research, industrial development, and real‑world deployment. 

Design Automation and AI for Industrial Power Electronics 
Location: tbd

Artificial intelligence and design automation are moving from exploratory research topics to practical enablers in industrial power electronics engineering. In line with the scope of IEEE PELS TC10, which focuses on design automation, AI and machine learning, advanced optimization, and the broader methodological transformation of converter design, this Industry Forum session will examine how these methods are being adopted in real industrial workflows for power electronics applications.  

The session will bring together contributors from the automotive industry, applied research, and engineering software to discuss where AI-based and automated design tools already create value, where they still fail, and what is required for broader industrial deployment. Topics will include accelerated converter and component design, simulation-driven optimisation, data-enabled engineering workflows, surrogate modelling, and the integration of AI tools into existing industrial development chains. The discussion will also address practical barriers, including model reliability, data quality, interoperability with established tools, engineering trust, and qualification for safety-critical applications. 

Rather than presenting AI as a replacement for engineering expertise, the session will focus on realistic pathways to augment industrial power-electronics design. The objective is to provide ECCE Europe attendees with a clear picture of current industrial needs, transferable lessons from early adoption, and concrete challenges that should shape future research and tool development.