Staufen_2021_Magazine_04_EN

THE ENERGY OF THE FUTURE IS ELECTROCHEMISTRY ~ Electrochemistry
03
In terms of Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR), how have you managed to marry
innovation in chemistry with a vision aimed
at minimizing environmental impact?
Our research is constantly focused on optimizing the energy
resources that are necessary to produce these electrochemical
transformations. The development projects that we are working on
are all heading in the direction of the use of clean energy (fuel cells
or hydrogen).
04
Yours is a “family company” that originated
from the brilliant intuition of Oronzio De Nora,
but over the years it has grown to become
an international leader in many markets.
What was the pivotal moment that brought
about this change in approach?
The quantum leap for the company occurred when Oronzio De
Nora decided to acquire the patent for DSA, dimensionally stable
anodes. In practice, the positive part of the electrode, which previously
was graphite and therefore subject to wear, became titanium,
a material that does not wear. At the end of their life, the electrodes
regenerate and go on working. Another significant wathershed
moment was the 2010 acquisition of two Japanese companies, an
operation which took our sales volume from €150 M to €400 M,
and the number of employees from 900 to 1600. A few years later
we also embraced the water business, which resulted in a further
increase in sales by €100 M, definitively moving the company into a
more multinational rather than local dimension.
05
What were the next steps in this ongoing
evolution?
19
Offices
worldwide
12
Production
plants
3
R&D centers
in Italy, U.S.A.
& Japan
500
M €
in sales
1,600
Employees
“The development
projects that we are
working on are all
heading in the
direction of utilizing
clean energy (fuel
cells or hydrogen).”
With the growth of the business, we had to constantly refine corporate
governance, and the main tool that we entrusted this to was
SAP (Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing), which
we gradually introduced into all fields. At the same time, we are
continuing a significant transformation in “supply chain” management
aimed at improving performance, both in terms of efficacy,
reducing delivery times, and efficiency, by optimizing the products
in the warehouses: a total reorganization of order fulfilment process,
from its arrival to the company until the product is shipped to
the client. For the manufacturing part, on the other hand, thanks to
Staufen Consulting, we are pursuing “Lean Transformation” measures
in all of our manufacturing sites which, thanks to a gradual, but
radical, change in approach, are aimed at achieving improved results
and productivity. The processes applied, from the “water” area
to the “front end”, to the “quotation” part, relating to the drafting of
tenders, will be shortly be extended worldwide with the objective of
achieving efficiency at a global level.
ING. ALBERTO COMINELLI
Chief Operations Officer
Industrie De Nora S.p.A.
OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
47