Consolidated Financial Statements >
Directors’ Report
114
| 2012 annual report prysmian group
In terms of Industrial Innovation, the strategic role played
by materials in cable and accessories technology had led
Prysmian Group to step up its exploratory studies in this area.
Among the main achievements in the year:
• the development of innovative insulating materials for high
voltage applications of P-Laser technology, in HVAC and
HVDC cables;
• the qualification by REE (Red Electrica Española) of a cable
monitoring system allowing the real-time measurement
of various parameters, particularly electrical ones, thus
facilitating all maintenance activities during operation of
medium and high voltage networks;
• the development and launch of the Prycam partial discharge
measurement and monitoring system, which allows precise
measurement of partial discharges by different network
components during normal operation;
• the development of optical fibre phase conductors, a
technology that allows optical fibre to be installed within
phase conductors of distribution networks that have no
protection cables; this opens up the way to build a genuine
Smart Grid through a communication channel without
bandwidth limitation;
• the definition of new design criteria to significantly reduce
losses in the armouring of tripolar submarine cables;
this system makes it possible to achieve a considerable
reduction in the losses generated in the cable at the same
power rating, to increase the power rating or even to
optimise cable design at the same power.
In addition, work continued on optimising costs: the package
of DTC (Design to Cost) projects was extended to more than
1,000 projects, enabling the Group to achieve considerable
cost savings, also thanks to rationalisation of compounds and
better use of materials.
Intellectual property rights
Protecting its portfolio of patents and trademarks is a key
part of the Group’s business, particularly due to its strategy
of growth in high-tech market segments. In particular, the
Group’s intense R&D activities, in both the Energy and
Telecom businesses, have allowed it to continue to increase its
patent portfolio, especially in the high-tech and higher value-
added segments, to support its major investments in these
fields in recent years and to protect the related businesses,
both now and in the future.
As at 31 December 2012, the Prysmian Group had 5,644
patents and patent applications throughout the world,
covering 914 inventions (of which 258 in the Energy business
and 656 in the Telecom business). During 2012, 30 new patent
applications were filed, split equally between the two business
sectors, and 194 patents were granted after examination, of
which 36 by the European Patent Office (EPO) and 49 in the
United States.
The most important products, typically distinguished by
particular characteristics or a specific production process, are
protected by trademarks that allow them to be identified and
guarantee their uniqueness. At the end of 2012, the Prysmian
Group also owned more than 3,000 trademarks in its countries
of operation, covering its companies, activities, products and
product lines.
