Can We Fix the Grid? KONCAR CEO on the Future of Power | Gordan Kolak, KONCAR

Three to six year lead times for transformers are not sustainable. KONCAR CEO Gordan Kolak says utilities must speed up electrification now.

Recorded at CIGRE 2026 in Paris on the APC Media platform, this interview features Gordan Kolak, President of the Management Board of KONCAR, on KONCARs turnaround, customer strategy and the future of the grid.

With demand outpacing factory capacity, geopolitical disruption and policy uncertainty delaying decisions, and the EU Green Deal setting the pace, Kolak lays out what manufacturers and utilities must do next. Key topics covered:

• KONCAR broke internal silos to prepare for electrification, linking transformers, renewables and new digital grid capabilities to respond faster with custom solutions.
• Decentralization, decarbonization and digitalization are the three drivers reshaping power, from rooftop solar to digitalization of the grid at scale.
• Strong demand has pushed delivery times to unsustainable levels, forcing the industry to expand capacity while weighing geopolitical risk.
• Speed of decision is the real differentiator, and utilities as drivers of change must invest in generation, grid capacity, resilience and digital tools.
• Policy hesitation in the US and Europe plus national financing limits are slowing utilities, even as electrification remains the clear direction.

In this video:

Gordan Kolak – President of the Management Board, KONCAR