From hype to hard value: the industry’s second wave of digital adoption
In just a few years, the energy industry has shifted from hype to hard value. Where conversations once centered on futuristic fuels and long-term ambitions, today the focus is on gas as transition fuel, LNG as vehicle, and on what delivers measurable performance: reliability, efficiency, and operational excellence.
Through our conversations with customers at events like GasTech, during iCenter™ Seminars, and in daily interactions, we continue to see optimism around hydrogen and new fuels. But operators are no longer waiting solely for the next big leap. They’re focused on tangible ways to improve performance, reduce risk, and meet emissions goals with the assets they already have. The energy transition has entered its practical phase—one built on efficiency, not abstraction.
LNG and fertilizers: a return to relevance
Few examples illustrate this better than the resurgence of LNG and the transformation of the fertilizer sector.
LNG has firmly re-established itself as the transition fuel, bridging the gap between today’s energy needs and tomorrow’s lower-carbon systems. New projects across Asia-Pacific are accelerating again, emphasizing efficiency, uptime, and availability.
At the same time, the fertilizer industry, once seen as low-tech and commoditized, is becoming a surprising digital frontrunner. Global disruptions have underscored its strategic importance for food security. Companies like QatarEnergy LNG and QAFCO in Qatar are demonstrating how digital asset management and process optimization can deliver both economic and environmental resilience.
These are not abstract transformation stories; they’re tangible examples of how industrial sectors are modernizing through operational excellence.
The second wave of digital
This new era of digital adoption looks very different from the first.
A decade ago, digital transformation was the domain of early adopters and “digital natives.” Today, I see engineers and operators, people who have spent entire careers in mechanical or process disciplines, asking detailed questions about AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics.
They want to know how these tools can:
- Reduce unplanned trips and downtime
- Optimize fuel efficiency and emissions performance
- Minimize offshore headcount and safety risk through remote operations
That’s what I call the second wave of digital: when technology stops being a trend and becomes a trusted enabler of performance.
From curiosity to confidence
As Customer Success teams, our mission is to help customers turn curiosity into confidence.
Every day, we work with operators navigating digital adoption inside highly conservative organizations. They want proof. So, we start with quick, visible wins: KPIs like availability, energy intensity, and trips avoided that move within the first 90 days.
Those early results build trust, and trust accelerates transformation. From there, customers naturally expand from monitoring to optimization, and from optimization to remote operations.
Collaboration over competition
Another evolution I see is a growing recognition that no single provider can do it all. The digital landscape is fragmented, and success increasingly depends on federation: connecting OEM expertise, customer digital stacks, and complementary partner technologies.
That’s exactly where Baker Hughes Digital Services plays best: as a specialized, trusted partner on critical assets, LNG trains, fertilizer units, and offshore production systems, where reliability and efficiency truly define performance.
Practical progress wins
The energy industry’s transformation isn’t slowing down; it’s simply getting smarter. Real progress happens one measurable improvement at a time, when efficiency, safety, and reliability align to deliver profitability and lower emissions.
That’s where Customer Success meets industrial innovation: helping customers translate ambition into daily, measurable outcomes that move their business and the industry forward.