AI supports key processes in the manufacture, operation and maintenance of high-end power equipment
SHANGHAI, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As industrial artificial intelligence (AI) moves from pilot projects into core operations, manufacturers are increasingly focused on how it can deliver sustained value in production and long-term equipment performance. For heavy-duty gas turbines, described as a "crown jewel" of high-end equipment manufacturing, this involves both precision machining of complex components and reliable operation throughout their service lives.
In its heavy-duty gas turbine business, Shanghai Electric (SEHK: 02727, SSE: 601727) is combining equipment engineering expertise with production and operating data. Applications span flexible blade manufacturing, inspection and servicing, as well as intelligent operations and maintenance (O&M), reflecting the company's broader efforts to advance AI-enabled manufacturing.
Flexible Blade Manufacturing
Manufacturing critical components is an essential capability for gas turbine suppliers. Blade production involves different sizes, shapes and machining routes, requiring automated equipment to accommodate multiple blade types and process requirements. Shanghai Electric's flexible manufacturing line combines AI vision, digital twins, intelligent scheduling and robotics to support mixed-model blade production and automatic changeovers.
Using 3D vision and AI, the system identifies blade blanks in randomly stacked piles, then picks and positions them. Picking accuracy exceeds 99.99%. The line integrates production scheduling, manufacturing execution and quality management systems, linking loading, machining, inspection and final packing. It can switch between fully automated production and standalone machine operation, providing flexibility to support production continuity.
AI-Assisted Quality Inspection
Alongside production flexibility, quality assurance is another focus of Shanghai Electric's AI applications. Rotors are high-value, critical components in major power generation equipment, and weld quality directly affects their safe operation. To address the challenges of inspecting machined features on large components, the company has developed an AI-based visual inspection terminal that combines AI, robotic control and welding expertise. It provides real-time monitoring throughout welding operations to identify quality defects at an early stage.
The system's embodied AI architecture combines a collaborative robot with a custom end effector. The arm can extend and retract at the touch of a button and automatically adapt to the welding cycle. Using 5G connectivity, the system completes image analysis and returns inspection results within seconds. A data feedback loop links shop-floor observations, process optimization and quality traceability, turning practical manufacturing experience into digital knowledge that can be retained and reused.
Data-Driven Operations and Maintenance
The applications extend from manufacturing and quality inspection to long-term plant operation. Shanghai Electric's SIMPLE intelligent operation and maintenance platform draws on data from more than 60 turbine units, with over 1 million cumulative operating hours. It combines AI with knowledge of gas turbine operating principles to support real-time performance monitoring, dynamic optimization of operating performance and early warnings of potential faults.
Through cloud-edge coordination, the platform links design and operating data in a decision-support workflow covering monitoring, early warning, diagnosis and corrective action. This supports a shift from reactive repairs to proactive maintenance. Remote collaboration tools complement these capabilities, allowing experts to view live footage from plant sites and provide maintenance guidance through augmented reality annotations, supporting technical assistance across locations.
Shanghai Electric will continue to advance data integration across the gas turbine lifecycle, using feedback from manufacturing and operations to refine design, production and after-sales service. As it looks to international markets, Shanghai Electric will continue to validate and refine these capabilities in real-world projects. The company aims to meet power plants' needs for reliable operation, timely maintenance support and cost-effective operation over the long term, laying the foundation for the international expansion of its gas turbine business.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Shanghai Electric Integrates Industrial AI into Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Manufacturing and Lifecycle Services
SINGAPORE, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NEC Asia Pacific will return to the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF), taking place from 18 to 20 November 2026 at Singapore EXPO.
At Booth #3G31, NEC will present AI, analytics and partner-led offerings that help financial institutions make better-informed decisions, improve operational performance, and advance business transformation.
Guided by its vision to create what's ahead, NEC is bringing together practical applications spanning Agentic AI, financial intelligence, insurance risk analytics, technology integration and wealth management.
Michio Kotegawa, SVP, Head of Digital Finance Solutions & Innovation, NEC APAC, shares, "As financial institutions navigate growing complexity and rapidly evolving customer expectations, success will depend on their ability to turn technology into tangible business outcomes. By combining trusted AI innovation with deep financial services expertise, NEC is helping organisations create what's ahead through smarter decisions, stronger customer experiences, and more resilient operations."
What to Expect at NEC's Booth
1. NEC cotomi Agent: Advancing Agentic AI in Financial Services
NEC cotomi Agent observes how users complete tasks in a web browser, captures reusable operational know-how and applies that knowledge across web-based business systems. By turning individual expertise into organisational capability, the service can autonomously execute digital workflows while retaining appropriate governance and human oversight.
2. NEC Financial Insights & Supply Chain Finance
NEC Financial Insights and Supply Chain Finance combine Agentic AI, financial data and financing capabilities to help CFOs anticipate scenarios, act more quickly and optimise working capital and liquidity. Developed in partnership with TASConnect, the offering also supports risk management and closer collaboration across supply chains.
3. AI Image Analytics for Insurance and Risk Management
NEC will demonstrate AI-powered image analytics that examines motor-claim photographs for potential fraud and misrepresented damage. The technology can identify signs of pre-existing or staged damage and assess whether visible damage is consistent with a reported accident, supporting faster, more consistent claims decisions and reducing claim leakage.
4. Financial Technology Partnerships
NEC's Financial Technology Partnerships approach brings together financial-services expertise, technology capabilities and strategic partnerships with leading technology providers to help financial institutions modernise operations, address business challenges and advance their transformation goals. Across business consulting, wealth management, payments, financial-crime management and liquidity management, NEC connects relevant platforms, specialist solutions and delivery capabilities around evolving business needs.
NEC's collaboration with Avaloq demonstrates this approach in practice. Through NEC's Avaloq Wealth Management Implementation Services, NEC combines Avaloq platform capabilities with financial-services knowledge, engineering expertise and regional delivery experience to help institutions transform their wealth management capabilities and realise greater value from their technology investments.
5. Avaloq Wealth Management Transformation
Avaloq's integrated, front-to-back platform supports banking and wealth management across the value chain, from onboarding and payments to investment management, credit, treasury, risk and compliance. A unified data model, real-time accounting and broad functional coverage can simplify operations, strengthen control and establish a foundation for AI-enabled innovation.
Vibhooti Chaturverdi, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, Avaloq, says: "A strong technology foundation is essential for wealth managers looking to scale into new markets and client segments, deliver more personalized advice and make effective use of AI. Together with NEC, we are helping financial institutions modernize by connecting data, process and ecosystems across the wealth management value chain."
Fireside Chat Sessions
- 18 November 2026, 10:30 AM
Speakers:
Yash Shah, Partner, Global Head of Avaloq Practice, Synpulse
Prashant Sharma, Business Development Director, NEC APAC
Topic: Beyond Platforms: Building the Future of Financial Services Through Partnership - 18 November 2026, 11:00 AM
Speaker: Emily Lee, Head of Sales, South Asia, Avaloq
Topic: One step ahead: AI-powered client experience - 18 November 2026, 11:30 AM
Speakers:
Dr. Liu Jianquan, Senior Director, NEC Laboratories Asia Pacific
Albert Hardy Tanutama, Senior Principal Designer, NEC Laboratories Asia Pacific
Dukey Rakesh, Manager, Digital Finance Division, NEC Corporation
Topic: Human in Command. AI in the Loop. Agentic AI and the future of CFO and treasury decision-making - 19 November 2026, 10:00 AM
Speaker: Sridhar Thangavelu, Global Head, Service Management, Avaloq
Topic: Making AI work where banking gets complex - 19 November 2026, 10:30 AM
Speaker: Akrawit Sooksai, CEO, AIRA Factoring
Topic: AIRA Factoring and NEC's Future of Digital Supply Chain Financing in Thailand - 20 November 2026, 10:30 AM
Speakers:
Eric Barbier, Founder and CEO, Triple-A
Madhivanan Periannan, Chief Technology Officer, TASConnect
Suresh Neelakantan, Head of Innovation and Development (Digital Finance), NEC APAC
Topic: Connecting Capital to Commerce: Tokenisation and the Next Generation of Supply Chain Finance
Attendees are invited to visit Booth #3G31 at Singapore FinTech Festival 2026 to connect with specialists and explore how NEC and Avaloq are creating what's ahead.
About NEC
NEC Asia Pacific leads in propelling Singapore's Smart Nation initiatives, integrating trusted technology with social responsibility. As a leading information and communications technology provider, NEC APAC is creating what's ahead with innovative solutions through AI, analytics, data, digital services, enterprise infrastructure, and Managed Services to promote safety, security, and enhance the quality of life for individuals and the community.
NEC APAC's technological advancements, dedicated to privacy and ethical usage, solidify trust among businesses and citizens. Together with NEC's research laboratories, NEC APAC provides cutting-edge public safety, cybersecurity technologies, and enterprise solutions to enable smart and sustainable cities, with a vision to create a brighter future.
For more information and to learn more about NEC APAC's innovative solutions, visit https://sg.nec.com/.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
NEC Returns to Singapore Fintech Festival with AI-Powered Financial Services Solutions
