Susanne Seitz is the chief executive officer of the Siemens Buildings Business Unit, part of Siemens Smart Infrastructure which is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. Seitz and her team focus on accelerating digital transformation towards smarter, more sustainable buildings. The executive enjoys more than 20 years of extensive experience in buildings, digitalization and management. She holds a Master's degree in Environmental Technology from ETH Zurich and an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen.

Tell us more about autonomous buildings. What are the biggest benefits?

Autonomous buildings use artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, and advanced automation to continuously optimise themselves, adjusting systems such as HVAC, lighting, fire safety and security without the need for constant human intervention.

As buildings are increasingly recognised as strategic assets in the infrastructure transition, autonomous building systems enable greater resilience, sustainability, and long-term operational performance.

Enhanced energy efficiency is one of the benefits of autonomous buildings. These systems go beyond simple automation by continuously analysing patterns in energy use, occupancy, and environmental conditions, to make real-time adjustments to minimise energy waste while maintaining comfort and safety for occupants. This is a critical advantage as energy efficiency in buildings ranks as the top infrastructure priority for organisations worldwide, according to Siemens’ latest Infrastructure Transition Monitor.

In the long term, autonomous buildings’ capacity for intelligent optimisation not only reduces operational costs but also drives progress towards decarbonisation goals, turning buildings into active contributors to the clean energy transition.

With growing investment in smart and autonomous building technologies, where do you expect to see the most immediate benefits?

With more than half (55%) of organisations planning to invest more in smart building technologies in the year ahead, the most immediate benefits will be typically seen in energy savings, transparency, and operational reliability.

While many organisations are under pressure to reduce energy consumption to cut costs and meet sustainability commitments, technologies such as IoT, AI and analytics can deliver carbon reductions and cost savings almost immediately.

Another immediate benefit is improved visibility. While only half (50%) of organisations currently have the data they need to make informed decarbonisation decisions, smart building platforms can provide detailed insights, helping teams better understand their energy and emissions profiles, plan refurbishments, and optimise maintenance. This higher level of transparency is the second-biggest benefit of adopting smart building technologies, according to our survey of global senior executives.

Enhanced reliability through predictive maintenance and early anomaly detection also reduces downtime and extends equipment life, helping organisations strengthen sustainability, resilience, and occupant satisfaction without delay.

What are the biggest barriers to improving energy-efficiency in these buildings? How can businesses overcome these challenges?

The most significant barriers to creating energy efficient buildings are financial rather than technical. Although many efficiency upgrades offer a strong return on investment, organisations report that a lack of capital, rising energy prices, and the cost of new equipment and technologies are the main factors slowing their progress.

To overcome these financial hurdles, organisations need financing models that reduce risk and remove the burden of upfront investment. At Siemens, we do this through Energy-as-a-Service models that align payment structures with foreseen results, such as energy savings or emissions reductions, allowing organisations to replace large capital expenditures with outcome-based operational costs.

How are digitalisation and AI helping to decarbonise buildings and support the next phase of the clean energy transition?

Digitalisation and AI are now central to decarbonising the built environment and accelerating the clean energy transition. While renewable energy and electrification remain critical components of the journey to net-zero, the ability to manage energy intelligently will determine how quickly buildings can reduce emissions.

In our study, 55% of global senior executives said digitalisation has a strong or transformational impact on energy efficiency. AI enables real-time optimisation of HVAC, lighting, and energy storage, while predictive maintenance reduces waste by addressing issues before they escalate.

As buildings integrate on-site renewables, heat pumps, and EV charging, digital platforms coordinate these systems to maximise self-generation and minimise peak loads. Tools like digital twins also allow organisations to simulate renovations, track emissions, and prioritise investments.

By providing the intelligence needed to operate buildings more sustainably, digitalisation and AI help organisations translate climate ambition into tangible progress.

Looking ahead, which major changes do you expect in how buildings are designed, managed, and decarbonised over the next few years?

In the next few years, buildings will become fundamentally more intelligent, interconnected, and decarbonised. Next to retrofitting intelligence into existing structures, new buildings will incorporate autonomy systems, equipped with the sensors, data architecture, and automation capabilities required for continuous optimisation.

Electrification will also accelerate as heat pumps, renewable generation, and energy storage become mainstream elements of building infrastructure, turning buildings into active participants in the wider energy ecosystem.

On the business side, outcome-based financing models such as Energy-as-a-Service will gain traction, allowing organisations to pursue decarbonisation with lower risk and greater predictability.