Emerging technologies from 3D printers to Google Glass were on display yesterday as Exelon Corporation hosted its first Innovation Expo in the Chicagoland area, aimed at bringing together employees and outside experts to explore how to apply creative solutions to complicated business problems.

Building on the last expo’s theme of “big data,” this event focused on “data driven decisions,” or how to harness the rapid volume of data that companies and consumers generate and interact with every day to devise meaningful business solutions.

At the Innovation Expo, experts from APX Labs, C3 Energy, Imaginatik and other companies presented innovative technologies and discussed how they are harvesting massive amounts of data to learn more about their customers, increase productivity and improve results. More than 500 employees attended the all-day event.

“Over the past few years, Exelon has increased its investment in and use of innovative solutions that promise to revolutionize the energy industry,” said Sonny Garg, senior vice president and chief information and innovation officer for Exelon. “Yesterday’s event helps us leverage new technologies that improve the safety and efficiency of our workforce while developing new energy products and services to better serve our customers.”

Exelon has committed to the use of emerging technologies to improve performance, from deploying droids and robotics at its nuclear facilities to partnering with startup companies to leverage Google Glass or other wearable innovations to improve efficiency and minimize hazards.

In advance of the Innovation Expo, Exelon challenged employees to submit posters showcasing the innovative ideas and technologies that they or colleagues currently are developing. Approximately 45 posters were displayed and judged at the event as part of the companywide competition.

Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC) is the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2013 revenues of approximately $24.9 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, Exelon has operations and business activities in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Exelon is one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators, with more than 35,000 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation’s cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. The company’s Constellation business unit provides energy products and services to approximately 100,000 business and public sector customers and approximately 1 million residential customers. Exelon’s utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to more than 6.6 million customers in central Maryland (BGE), northern Illinois (ComEd) and southeastern Pennsylvania (PECO). Follow Exelon on Twitter @Exelon.