SPECIALIST INSIGHT
Can you share some key milestones and challenges in your career journey that led you to your current role as President of ABB Electrification ’ s Smart Buildings division ?
I began my career as an application engineer in the United States , where I developed a genuine focus on customer needs . Driven by a passion for building strong partnerships and growing customers ’ business , I transitioned to leadership roles at Atlas Copco , spanning the United States , Europe , the Middle East , Africa and Asia . This journey allowed me to develop a global leadership career across diverse industries and regions .
My entrepreneurial spirit led me to establish a business using the Middle East as a base . In this role , I assumed overall accountability for the company across the region .
In 2011 , following my dedication to creating robust , highly performing teams , committed to enabling customers ’ success and delivering profitable growth , I started my journey at ABB . In 2014 , I became the Global Managing Director for the Building Products business unit and in 2018 , Head of Global Markets for the Electrification business , responsible for a global organisation with more than 12,000 employees across 80 + markets , a portfolio of over 220,000 products , generating approximately US $ 13 billion revenues . These exciting steps and global experiences led to my current role as the President of ABB Electrification ’ s Smart Buildings division .
How do you see the role of smart buildings evolving in the context of global energy transition and sustainability initiatives ? What are the key technological advancements driving this evolution ?
Buildings account for 40 % of energy consumption and 30 % of the world ’ s greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions , which present a huge opportunity for change to ensure a low-carbon future . At the same time , thanks to technological advancement and the ever-increasing expectations from their occupants , both in terms of comfort and sustainability , buildings are becoming more connected and automated , ‘ thinking buildings ’. And technology is ever evolving with 5G and Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) opening up further opportunities .
Demands on buildings and electrical grids are changing ; just think of the average home or community and the new requirement for
In this interview , Mike Mustapha , President of ABB Electrification ’ s Smart Buildings division , discusses his career milestones , the role of smart buildings in global sustainability , ABB ’ s innovative energyefficient projects , and future trends in the industry , offering advice to aspiring professionals looking to impact this dynamic field . electric vehicle ( EV ) charging . As electrification increases , so must the supporting infrastructure to keep it safe , smart , sustainable and simple for users .
The drive to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings , along with the increasing availability of technologies to measure and optimise energy usage and to integrate renewable sources of energy show that the energy transition is moving at pace now .
With the recent opening of ABB ’ s new energyefficient factory in Belgium , what are the main innovative features of this facility , and how do they align with ABB ’ s broader sustainability goals ?
The new factory at Evergem replaces an existing facility and produces power distribution enclosures that serve as protective housings for electrical distribution components such as circuit breakers , fuses , switchgear and meters , ensuring the safe distribution , metering and control of electricity throughout residential , commercial and industrial buildings . This modern injection moulding manufacturing plant has been developed to meet the latest energy-efficiency demands through the installation of new injection moulding machines , digital technologies and automation solutions . Producing smart building components sustainably is important , considering the growing demand for these generally , following the increasing demand for more efficient and reliable electrical systems for new buildings and through the modernisation of existing buildings .
The new plant is part of ABB ’ s Mission to Zero programme and is expected to reduce CO 2 e emissions by more than 6,700 tonnes and energy consumption by more than 9,400 MWh annually compared to 2019 at the previous facility . 10 % of the energy required at the site will be generated by 1,330 on-site rooftop solar panels , with the remaining sourced from certified green energy supplies . LED lighting , EV chargers , heat pumps , cooling water circuits and a new air ventilation plant are also contributing to the energy and carbon emissions reduction .
Through the Mission to Zero programme , the site at Evergem is supporting ABB ’ s sustainability commitments to reach net zero GHG emissions in our own operations by 2050 as well as our 2030 commitments which are to electrify our entire vehicle fleet , source 100 % of our electricity from renewable energy sources and improve energy efficiency and productivity across our operations .
ABB ’ s Mission to Zero programme integrates advanced digital technologies like ABB Ability Building Analyser . How do these solutions enhance energy efficiency and operational performance within a facility ?
As a cloud-based SaaS solution , ABB Ability Building Analyser tracks building data across occupancy , equipment runtime hours , temperatures and costs as well as utilities ( energy , gas , water , steam ) in real time . It can extract data from an unlimited number of data points of almost any source and type and display it in one intuitive and easy-to-use interface . It enables the site to continuously monitor and analyse energy usage , for future
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