Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO and general manager of Terna, and Brad Smith, vice chair & president of Microsoft, sign in Milan the MoU. Image courtesy Terna.
Italian TSO Terna has announced an agreement with tech giant Microsoft to use its technologies to digitalise Terna’s business and industrial processes.
Under an MoU, the agreement furthers a partnership between the companies initially signed in October 2024, and outlines the framework for potential collaborations on key projects and initiatives for Terna.
Commenting in a release, Terna CEO and general manager Giuseppina Di Foggia, said the agreement will see the partners design strategic solutions for the future of the TSO.
“Microsoft’s services will enable the company to execute its Industrial Plan across four key areas: digitalisation, innovation, security, and sustainability,” said Di Fogggia.
Specifically, the collaboration will enable Terna to pursue strategic initiatives using AI, next-generation data platforms, and hybrid digital infrastructures.
According to Di Foggia, the digitalised solutions, once integrated into their business processes, will allow Terna to improve efficiency and quality of their operations in managing the country’s electricity system.
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The initiative will cover the following areas:
- Artificial Intelligence
Terna has already launched a pilot phase of Microsoft 365 Copilot with a selected group of employees and, under the agreement, is working toward the broader application of AI tools in other key areas of its operations, such as infrastructure maintenance, automated fault detection, and procurement process management.
Terna will also introduce an additional component to its cyber threat management programme through AI solutions and strengthening the security of its hybrid infrastructure.
- Key Strategic Project
Additionally, the collaboration with Microsoft will allow Terna to strengthen its support for startups through the Terna Innovation Zone Tunisia — the hub in Africa managed by the Italian group under the Mattei Plan.
The hub, says Terna in a release, aims to foster technological innovation and promotes training and skills development in the Tunisian energy sector within a broader partnership between Italy and Tunisia.
In a release, Terna cites its updated 2024 to 2028 Industrial Plan, wherein the company allocated €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion) to digital transformation, representing an increase of over 20% compared to the previous plan.
The company says that digitalisation, innovation, and emerging technologies play an increasingly central role in their activities to manage the growing complexity of the power system and enable its dual energy and digital transition.
