Nico Schmäling is the Senior Director of Seal Portfolios at John Crane. Over the years, his expertise in sales, strategic leadership, and product management has made him a key contributor to the company’s sustainability and innovation efforts. Before taking on his current role, he held several leadership positions across Sales & Aftermarket, Product Portfolios, and New Energy Solutions, where he built deep industry expertise and a strong strategic outlook. He began his career at Everllence in Augsburg.

Day 1: Wednesday January 14th | 17:30 – 18:00

Title: Engineering Resilience: Navigating Energy Priorities in a High-Demand Future

Abstract: The GPPS Forum 2026 speech, presented by Nico Schmaeling, examines the critical role of rotating equipment amid global energy challenges through the lens of the Energy Trilemma—security, affordability, and sustainability. It highlights that global GDP and population growth will increase energy demand by 9% by 2050, with data centers and AI driving electricity consumption. Despite renewable growth, fossil fuels will remain dominant (>50% of primary energy). Case studies stress the importance of grid resilience and cost-competitive energy. Decarbonization strategies—hydrogen, CCUS, electrification, and alternative fuels—are complemented by efficiency improvements in existing systems, particularly reducing tribology-related losses via advanced seals and predictive maintenance. The speech calls for collaboration, technology upgrades, and knowledge sharing to achieve a resilient, affordable, and sustainable energy future.