Last week at ETCSEE 2025 in Vienna, energy professionals from across Central and Eastern Europe gathered to discuss the rapidly evolving dynamics of the region’s power and gas markets. The conference continues to serve as a vital meeting point each year for utilities, trading firms, and technology providers shaping the future of energy.
Panel Spotlight: The Future of the Back Office
One of the standout sessions focused on two key themes:
- The Future of Data Standardisation in the Back Office & Financial Operations
- Integrating Automation with Electronic Back Office
Key Themes from the Panel: Automation and Interoperability
The panel - featuring a diverse and experienced line-up of industry participants from CEZ, Ørsted, Verbund Energy4Business, and EP Commodities - explored how electronic Confirmation Matching (eCM) and electronic Settlement Matching (eSM) standards are actively reducing manual processes, improving accuracy, and increasing operational scalability across energy trading operations.
A clear message emerged from the discussion: industry-wide adoption of automation tools will only succeed if platforms can interoperate. All panellists agreed that interoperability is critical to unlocking the full value of eCM and eSM throughout the energy trading lifecycle.
Petra Červená, Back Office Manager from EP Commodities shared how their back office grew from a single-person operation into a much more scalable structure due to eCM, emphasising that returning to paper-based workflows is no longer a viable option. This view was widely shared by other panelists, including those from Ørsted, CEZ, and VERBUND, who also highlighted the efficiency gains enabled by automation.
One particularly notable moment came when the topic of cross-platform interoperability was put to Equias CEO Hugh Brunswick. When asked whether he supports interoperability across eCM platforms, he expressed a clear confirmation to formalising this commitment. When asked if this commitment could be put in writing, he was quoted saying ‘of course’ to the audience. It was a strong signal that even established providers are ready to embrace a more connected and cooperative future.
For Fidectus, this is more than a welcome soundbite, it’s a sign of momentum.
Fidectus: Driving Interoperability Forward
At Fidectus, this isn’t just encouraging - it’s validation. We’ve long championed the belief that true post-trade automation depends on open ecosystems. Without interoperability, companies face fragmented infrastructure, duplicated processes, and limited innovation.
That’s why our Confirmation Hub and Settlement Hub solutions on the GEN platform are built from the ground up to support seamless integration, cross-platform collaboration, and scalable digital workflows.
As the energy trading sector becomes increasingly digital, the urgency for openness, connectivity, and cooperation only grows. Fidectus is committed to advancing this vision - by enabling a truly automated, interconnected post-trade environment for all market participants.