Research & Development

Prysmian has always attributed key strategic importance to Research & Development in the management and development of its business. The Group has: 7 Research & Development Centres (Italy, France, UK, Germany, Spain, United States and South America) with headquarters in Milan; established collaboration agreements with major universities and research centres (including the Polytechnic of Milan and the National Research Council of Italy - CNR); more than 400 skilled professionals; about 3,000 patents granted or filed. In 2010, Research & Development investments amounted to approximately Euro 46 million.

2010 Main Achievements

• In the petrochemical sector, development of high-tech flexible pipes for offshore oil extraction was completed at the Vila Velha plant in Brazil; new hybrid umbilical cables were also experimented, which unlike traditional cables use steel rather than plastic pipes, thus improving reliability and performance also when installed at depths of more than 2,000 metres.
• New generation high voltage direct current extruded XLPE cables which use innovative insulating materials that allow cables to carry voltages of 300 kV, compared with 250 kV previously. This new technology, suitable for both mainland and submarine installations, will be used for the first time in the BORWIN2 - 800 MW submarine project, which is the first high voltage 300 kV direct current link using extruded materials for insulation, and the first 800 MW link for an offshore wind farm.
• Development of the first P-Laser high voltage cables at the Gron plant in France, with the aim of progressively extending this technology to high and extra high voltage products. In addition, product certification of the medium voltage P-Laser cable was completed for the Dutch and UK markets.
• Extension of the IQ-Protolon system to mining applications. This system allows constant monitoring of cable wear and tear, thus permitting early replacement. Other areas of application of this new technology are being studied, having been thus far used solely in the field of dockside logistics.
• In the field of solar energy, and particularly in connection with the ambitious European co-funded Ephestus project, in which Prysmian is a partner, work continued on developing micro-umbilical cables specifically designed for cogeneration solar plants. The electricity generation principle being studied for the first time in the Ephestus project is based on a non-photovoltaic physical phenomenon, that does not require the use of silicon.
• A new fire-resistant insulating compound has been developed for optical fibre telecom cables, that permits data transmission even in the event of fire. The new compound, made using special nanocharges, is currently being developed at the Pignataro Maggiore plant.
•A new range of high-density fibre cables for FTTH applications, with a maximum diameter of 20 mm that can contain up to 864 fibres. At the same time, passive connectivity development has continued with the goal of expanding the VERTICASA product portfolio. 

Protection of Intellectual Property Rights
Protecting its portfolio of patents and trademarks is a major part of the Group’s business, particularly due to its strategy of growth in high technology market segments.
At 31 December 2010, the Prysmian Group owned 2.887 patents and patent applications throughout the world covering 463 inventions. At the end of 2010, the Prysmian Group also owned 693 trademarks for products or product lines.

Quality at every Stage of the Production Cycle
The quality of all Prysmian products is ensured by strict monitoring of every stage of the production cycle, from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of the finished product, by means of an extensive system of control for each specific stage of the cycle.
In raw materials procurement the focus of controls is on the selection of suppliers, thus assuring the quality of individual supplies that have to be accompanied by the relevant certificates showing their compliance with the standards established at the contract.

High Standards of Customer Service
To ensure a high standard of customer service Prysmian has, since 2003, commissioned outside consultants to conduct a series of customer satisfaction surveys and take monthly measurements of service indicators.