Draft program released for the 2026 Annual Forum
19/10/2026The draft program for the 2026 Asset Institute Annual Forum and QUT Energy Transition Centre Symposium is now available.
Eleven speakers from asset owners, operators, industry and research will share how the energy transition is changing the way we build, operate and make decisions about assets.
Reliability, Resilience, and Renewal: Managing Assets in the Energy Transition
- Date: Friday 13 November 2026, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Venue: Room Three Sixty, Y-Block, QUT Gardens Point, 2 George St, Brisbane QLD 4000
- Cost: Open to the public. One complimentary registration for paid Asset Institute members.
Draft program
Draft program. Subject to change.
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 8:00 | Registration |
| 8:20 | Welcome and opening Michael Cholette, CEO, Asset Institute |
| 8:30 | Principal Sponsor address |
| 9:00 | Sovereignty, shutdowns and server farms: asset decisions in a rapid and messy transition Erik Vandenberg, General Manager – Growth and Energy Transition, Verbrec |
| 9:30 | Energy transition has many challenges: how do we get through it maintaining reliability? Steve Saladine, Sigma Squared Solutions and Board Chair, Asset Institute |
| 10:00 | Hardwiring collaboration for the energy transition: better decision making and change that sticks Dr Meg Hooper, Managing Director, Carousel Consulting |
| 10:30 | Morning tea |
| 11:00 | Climate scenario analysis, assets and strategy: reflections from the first year of AASB S2 reporting Jess Kelly, Senior Transition Strategy Advisor, CleanCo Queensland |
| 11:30 | One site, two eras: delivering a utility-scale BESS within Australia’s largest coal-fired power station precinct Michael Pettenon, Battery Project Director, Origin Energy |
| 12:00 | Wind farm asset management: what makes wind farms special? Dr Liz Beavis, Asset Manager, Tilt Renewables |
| 12:30 | Networking lunch and exhibition |
| 13:30 | Panel discussion (topic to be announced) |
| 14:15 | Spinach in your teeth: how the hyper-transparency of emissions data will impact asset-intensive industries Prof. Robert Perrons, Queensland University of Technology |
| 14:45 | Understanding technological disruption and its implications for long-term asset decisions Dr Tim MacTaggart, Business Development Manager, FPR Energy |
| 15:15 | Afternoon tea and exhibition |
| 15:45 | From data to decisions: closing the loop on solar O&M with HiveOps Joel Ibrahim, Hardware Operations Manager, Proa Energy Intelligence |
| 16:15 | Delivering fit-for-purpose asset strategies on a diverse generation fleet as we transition to renewables Ben Roxby, Group Manager – Asset Engineering & Digital, Origin Energy |
| 16:45 | Understanding the practical challenges of performance assessment for utility-scale solar farms Dr Brendan Wright, University of New South Wales |
| 17:15 | Networking refreshments and exhibition |
| 18:00 | Close |
Speaker bios are in the full draft program (PDF).
Registration
The Forum is open to the public and everyone is welcome.
Paid Asset Institute members receive one complimentary registration. Please contact Michael Cholette at michael.cholette@assetinstitute.com to claim yours.
Sponsorship
Principal, Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorships are still available. Please get in touch if your organisation is interested.
This event may be eligible for Engineers Australia CPD. Refer to the EA guidelines to check suitability.