615 € mln investments during the year in innovation and technology envisaged in the 2020-2024 Business Plan
Innovation is a strategic lever for the growth of the Group which permeates the entire organisation, from corporate culture, to operational processes, infrastructures and technological devices.
615 € mln investments during the year in innovation and technology envisaged in the 2020-2024 Business Plan
For the purpose of managing the innovation line we develop high added-value innovative projects to create a favourable environment for innovation and the culture of entrepreneurship. We activated the Innovation Board, which, in a shared manner, defines and implements the Group’s innovation strategy. We also created dedicated work spaces for the development of innovation and a corporate innovation programme.
In order to achieve the challenging innovation objectives, we redefined the organisation at the Company Acea Innovation, which in 2020 focused above all on electric mobility. Moreover, we strengthened Acea SpA’s Technology and Solutions area: this function manages the Group’s innovation line and promotes the Innovation Model, which identifies the Group’s internal needs and looks for innovative solutions, via the adoption of processes and approaches typical of open innovation.
The Group’s line of innovation is managed by the company Acea Innovation, which approves the project and innovative initiatives, generating products and services for the business (B2B) and Institutional (B2G) markets, particularly in the areas of electric mobility, energy requalification and home composting.
There is also an Innovation Board, comprising the innovation coordinators of the various industrial areas, which defines and implements, in a shared manner, the Group’s innovation strategy.
Projects have been launched with regard to every strategic pillar identified and idea generation sessions have been staged enabling the diffusion of an innovation culture involving all people within the Group and highlighting further prospects for the development of technological applications and innovation. Partnerships have also been signed at domestic and international level with a view to consolidating Acea’s position in the ecosystem of innovation and identifying new business opportunities, and innovative solutions coming from startups and SMEs have been analysed and tested.
Moreover, bearing in mind the importance of promoting and developing a Group culture with regard to innovation, we introduced the Innovation Board, comprising the innovation coordinators of the various industrial areas, which defines and implements, in a shared manner, the Group’s innovation strategy.
Acea at “Maker Faire Rome” to redesign the future of water and the environment
Maker Faire Rome is the most important initiative in Europe dedicated to innovation, where specialised companies, makers, startuppers and enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds meet to present the most innovative projects applied to the water and energy infrastructures and to share their knowledge.
The 2021 edition, which saw our participation for the eighth consecutive year, took place with in-person attendance. In particular, we distinguished ourselves by illustrating the most innovative industry 4.0 solutions applied to our industrial sectors, above all as regards water and the environment.
Acea Innovation Garage
Acea Innovation Garage, the first entrepreneurship programme for Acea Group employees
The year 2021 saw the second edition of the corporate entrepreneurship programme Acea Innovation Garage, addressed to employees and aimed at promoting the innovation culture, with a view to supporting the Group in achieving its objectives via the valorisation of internal know-how.
Thanks to the programme, in 2021 more than 40 initiatives were organised, both with in-person attendance and online, on various topics of strategic interest for the company, including the circular economy, smart water/energy and customer experience transformation, Smart Organisation and Human and Business Process Management.
