Killian O’Connor, is a cleantech and renewable energy entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience spanning technical innovation, commercial strategy, operational leadership, and management. He specialises in driving business growth, strategic planning, and the integration of advanced technologies. 

In his current role as Managing Director of Cleantech at Zartis, Killian continues to build and nurture strong, enduring relationships with clients, partners, and teams, establishing himself as a trusted authority in the energy, cleantech, and AI-powered energy flexibility.

In an engaging Q/A session with Shaheen Shafique, he discusses how digital transformation, AI, and cutting-edge software solutions are shaping the future of sustainable energy and climate technology. Killian shares insights into Zartis’ role in empowering cleantech businesses—from virtual power plants and energy flexibility markets to waste management and recycling platforms—through strategic consultancy and innovative digital solutions. He also highlights how events like the Climate Technology Show serve as critical platforms for collaboration, investment, and policy alignment, helping accelerate the global transition to a net-zero future.

#Shaheen: Could you please explain your role and how are you involved in the cleantech sector at Zartis?

#Killian: As Managing Director of Cleantech at Zartis, I lead the overall strategy and growth of our cleantech initiatives, ensuring we deliver impactful solutions in this rapidly evolving sector. Cleantech is a core focus for Zartis, representing both a major area of expertise and an exciting opportunity for innovation.

We collaborate with a diverse range of cleantech businesses, spanning energy retail, flexibility markets, virtual power plants (VPPs), energy data analytics, waste management, and recycling platforms. Our role is to empower these organisations with strategic technical consultancy and high-quality software development services, helping them scale their impact and drive the transition to a more sustainable future.

#Shaheen: What renewable energy technologies do you offer at your organisation to help clients build a cleaner, more sustainable future?

#Killian: At Zartis, we empower organisations across the cleantech spectrum—including renewable energy, climate tech, circular economy, and e-mobility—by delivering cutting-edge software solutions and digital strategies that drive both sustainability and growth.

Our services include:

• Strategy & Consulting – Helping businesses navigate the cleantech landscape with expert guidance.
• Software Development & Data Solutions – Building scalable, high-performance platforms to optimise renewable energy and sustainability initiatives.
• AI & Advanced Analytics – Leveraging AI-driven insights to enhance efficiency, forecasting, and decision-making.
• Development of AI Agents – Creating intelligent, automated systems to optimise operations, resource management, and customer interactions.
• Digital Transformation – Modernising systems and processes to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

By combining deep industry expertise with technology-driven innovation, we help our clients scale their impact and lead the way in the global energy transition.

#Shaheen: What are the key challenges that your organisation faces in adopting cleantech innovation and how do you tackle it?

#Killian: One of the biggest challenges in adopting cleantech innovation is access to high-quality data, which is essential for optimising energy management, sustainability reporting, and predictive analytics. Many organisations struggle with fragmented or incomplete data, making it difficult to generate accurate insights. At Zartis, we tackle this by helping our clients build robust data infrastructure, integrating disparate data sources into unified platforms that enable better decision-making. By leveraging advanced AI and analytics, we ensure that businesses can harness the full potential of their data to drive efficiency, reduce emissions, and scale their impact.

Beyond data challenges, the complexity of integrating new technologies into existing systems remains a major hurdle. Cleantech solutions often require reworking legacy infrastructure and adapting to new digital processes, which can be disruptive. To overcome this, we emphasise collaborative partnerships and strategic consulting, working closely with clients to develop customised roadmaps that align with their operational needs. Our approach ensures a seamless transition, allowing companies to embrace innovation without compromising stability or performance.

Finally, scaling cleantech solutions presents its own set of difficulties. Many promising technologies struggle to move beyond pilot projects due to cost barriers, regulatory uncertainty, or lack of scalable digital solutions. At Zartis, we take an agile development approach, building software that is designed for flexibility and growth. By anticipating future demands and ensuring solutions can evolve with the market, we help businesses scale efficiently while staying ahead of industry shifts.

While cleantech adoption comes with challenges, we believe that through strategic planning, strong data foundations, and technology-driven partnerships, businesses can successfully navigate the transition to a more sustainable future. Our role at Zartis is to be a trusted technology partner, ensuring that innovation is not only possible but practical, scalable, and impactful.

#Shaheen: Which types of software solutions are more effective in cleantech innovation and what role does AI play in driving sustainability in your sector?

#Killian: In the cleantech sector, the most effective software solutions are those that enable businesses to operate more efficiently, scale sustainably, and make informed, data-driven decisions. These solutions often center around energy management, predictive analytics, and optimisation tools that help companies monitor and control their operations in real time. For example, energy management and optimisation platforms allow organisations to track energy consumption and make adjustments to improve efficiency. Similarly, virtual power plants (VPPs) and grid flexibility solutions play a critical role in integrating renewable energy sources by ensuring better distribution and minimising energy waste. Additionally, carbon accounting tools and sustainability reporting platforms are essential in helping organisations automate the tracking of emissions and align with regulatory requirements for sustainability.

AI plays a transformative role in driving sustainability within the cleantech sector by enhancing the effectiveness of these solutions. At its core, AI helps optimise operations, improve efficiency, and predict outcomes with greater precision. For instance, AI-powered algorithms can forecast energy demand, supply fluctuations, and potential system failures, allowing businesses to plan and respond proactively. Through machine learning and predictive analytics, AI also enables companies to anticipate maintenance needs for renewable energy infrastructure, preventing costly downtime and extending asset life. Furthermore, AI helps automate decision-making in areas such as energy trading, demand response, and grid balancing, reducing the need for manual intervention and improving system responsiveness.

The real power of AI in cleantech lies in its ability to drive data-driven strategies that significantly reduce carbon footprints. By analysing vast amounts of data, AI can uncover valuable insights that allow businesses to optimise resource usage, minimise waste, and improve sustainability outcomes. As a result, AI is a crucial enabler in helping organisations transition to a low-carbon, resilient future while maintaining a competitive edge in an increasingly sustainable world.

#Shaheen: How do you see events like the Climate Technology Show influencing the adoption and acceleration of cleantech innovation in your industry?

#Killian: Events like the Climate Technology Show play a crucial role in accelerating cleantech innovation by bringing together key stakeholders—investors, startups, policymakers, and industry leaders—all in one place. These events create an environment for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and deal-making, which are essential for driving real-world adoption of sustainable technologies.

In our industry, such platforms provide a showcase for emerging solutions, helping to bridge the gap between innovation and implementation. They also facilitate regulatory discussions, ensuring that cleantech solutions align with policy frameworks, making it easier for businesses to scale.

Additionally, these events help de-risk investments in cleantech by fostering connections between financial backers and technology providers. As a result, we see increased momentum in deploying cutting-edge solutions that drive decarbonisation, efficiency, and sustainability at scale.