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of excellence where economies of scale can be exploited, but also to the ongoing pursuit of greater
manufacturing efficiency in the commodities area by maintaining a wide geographical presence to minimise
distribution costs. Gross capital expenditure came to Euro 210 million in 2015, up from Euro 163 million the
previous year. Among the highest impact projects were those to increase production capability at the
submarine cable plants in Arco Felice (Italy) and Pikkala (Finland), to expand production at the High Voltage
plant in Abbeville (USA), to regain competitiveness at the optical fibre plants in Battipaglia (Italy), Douvrin
(France) and Sorocaba (Brazil), and in the optical cables area, the start of construction of a new facility in
Durango (Mexico) and of work to expand the centre of excellence in Slatina (Romania).The Group has also
invested in boosting its execution capability for large submarine projects, with the upgrade of the "Cable
Enterprise" cable-laying ship and the purchase of a new cable-laying barge.
A total of Euro 73 million was invested in Research and Development during the year. One of the main
results was the qualification of the new extruded 525 kV cable system for direct current applications
(EHVDC) that will significantly increase maximum transmissible power for bipolar cable systems to over 2.6
GW. Also of note were the achievement of qualification for P-Laser 320 kV high-performance eco-friendly
cable, product innovations for fire-resistant eco-friendly building wires, and new applications and
qualifications in the fields of Oil&Gas, Nuclear and Renewables. The Telecom business reported the
development of a new range of bend-resistant BendBrightXS optical fibres, and the enlargement of the
product range for Flextube.
Acquisition-led growth
The year saw continued pursuit of externally driven growth, with two key strategic acquisitions. In the USA,
the Group acquired Gulf Coast Downhole Technologies (GCDT), active in the design and supply of
innovative downhole equipment for the Oil & Gas industry, while in Oman, it signed an agreement to
increase its stake in Oman Cables Industry (SAOG) to approximately 51%, thereby gaining control and
boosting its presence in the strategic Middle East region.
Human capital development
Numerous initiatives of note have taken place in the areas of human capital development and business
organisation. The process of regionalising structures in Europe, aimed at improving commercial synergies
and the supply chain in an increasingly integrated market context, has been taken forward with the creation
of the two regions of Central East Europe and South Europe. In terms of promoting talent, the various
programs for both employees and potential candidates have continued: about 700 employees passed
through the doors of the Prysmian Group Academy over the course of the year, and the new Manufacturing
Academy in Mudanya (Turkey) was inaugurated; the "Build The Future" graduate recruitment program, now
in its fifth edition, has resulted in the intake of 40 new high-potential resources, while a new recruitment
program targeting production engineers and technicians has been launched under the "Make It" banner. The
YES employee share purchase plan has also continued, with the number of employee-shareholders climbing
to 6,500, representing over 40% of those entitled.