Sustainability Report 2021
Research, development and technological innovation
PSC’s four research and development (R&D) centres are located in Oderzo, Scanzorosciate, Turin and Ferentino and employ a total of 64 employees and 11 program managers. This sector is strategic for the Group and for this reason it is reserved for significant investments, sometimes in synergy with customers.
There is a Director in charge of this area who, in collaboration with the Program management follows three divisions:
- Foreign customers
- Italian customers
- Appliances
With the purpose of identifying and sharing the best practices, useful to the whole Group, a cutting-edge business-intelligence platform has been realized.
R&D initiatives implemented by companies and business units are plenty and mixed practice and they include those described in the following paragraphs.
In 2020 Sole Oderzo started developing a research project called Sustainable Capacitive Keyboards (TCS), which is part of the calls for large R&D projects that can benefit from the resources of the Fund for Sustainable Growth (FCS), established to support businesses and investments in this field.
In order to identify and share good practices in this area with the whole Group, PSC has equipped itself with a state-of-the-art business intelligence platform.
The three-year project, whose conclusion is expected in 2023, aims at the development of keyboards whose functions can be activated with a touch action similar to the one we use on a smartphone screen and which are created with advanced processes of super-thin plastic injection molding.
The TCS project has three Achievement Objectives:
Study and screening in the laboratory of possible options for new molding, materials, devices for TCS and their compatibility.
Development of two prototypes: one for the dashboard with color-changing backlighting and one for the rear lid opening handle. This phase ended in 2021, with the development of three prototypes, two for the internal coatings and one for the handle.
Full development of the technology, expected in the course of 2022/2023
The project represents an innovation in the sector of materials and advanced production systems, in particular for plastic components, and confirms the very high profile of Sole Oderzo’s R&D, one of the excellences of the area and a proven international leader for the application in this field.
During 2021, both Sole Oderzo and Sole Components were also involved in the realization of other R&D projects, for the development of which they accrued the tax credit provided for by article 3 of decree-law 145/2013, as replaced by ‘art. 1 paragraph 35 of law 190/2014 and implemented with the ministerial decree 24/05/2015.
Specifically, the initiatives involved are eight as stated in the following list:
Research, experimentation and development of innovative galvanic chrome plating technologies with high environmental sustainability, based on the use of Trivalent Chromium.
Research, experimentation and development of innovative PVD metallization technologies for the realization of components aimed at the aesthetic covering - functional of road radar devices.
Research, experimentation and development for radiator grilles in polypropylene glass and modified poly-methyl-metha-acrylate.
Research, experimentation of the process of Vacuum Wrapping for exterior car components.
Research, experimentation and development for Grids Aesthetic radiator in ASA/PC with different finishes integrated in a single component.
Analysis and Development solution with metal-free film for Esthetic Cover Radars.
Feasibility study of defect detection solutions on painted components in production.
Study of innovative applications to industrial processes of solutions with collaborative robots.
During 2021, some of the Group’s companies benefited from financial assistance for a total of 11,046,277 euros, of which the quota referable to tax reliefs has been of 7.371.359 euros of which 30% has interested Prima Components Automotivos and 57% PSMM Pernambuco (Brazil).
Prima Poprad received subsidies for a total of 158,647 euros.
Prima Automotive, Prima Eastern, Prima Components Anagni and Prima Components Gricignano d’Aversa received a total of 2,156,248 euros in investment grants. Finally, Sole Oderzo and PSC received financial incentives of 1,360,022 euros.
Over the last three years, the total financial assistance granted to all PSC Group plants has been as follows.
