John Marsh

TE Connectivity

John has specialized knowledge in Connector and Material Technology having spent three decades developing innovative product solutions to solve customer interconnect challenges. His experience spans multiple applications across various industries, and his current focus is on product technology innovation for homes and smart cities. He is also passionate about Design for Sustainability and simplification via utilisation of Platform design concepts.

Title of talk: Engineering Sustainability: From Commitment to Competitive Advantage

René Peter Paul Smeets

Smeets worked with Eindhoven University since 1983. In 1995, he joined KEMA, the Netherlands. From 2001 - 2013 he returned to Eindhoven as a part-time professor. In 2013 he became adjunct professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China. Dr. Smeets is member of various committees of CIGRE in the field of switching technology. He was convener of IEC teams. He is Fellow of IEEE and of CIGRE. Since 2008 he is chairman of the “Current Zero Club”. Dr. Smeets authored over 300 papers on high-voltage switching technology and received nine international awards.

Title of talk: Challenges to contact systems in SF6-free high-voltage switchgear