Innovation for business development
The objectives that Snam has set itself for the short, medium and long term require considerable effort and investment in innovation, in order to always find the best solution from both a technological and a operational point of view. To this end, the Group will invest approximately Euro 2 billion with the aim of accelerating Snam’s innovative capacity to transform and manage its assets in order to seize the opportunities offered by the evolution of the energy system.
These resources will contribute to the development of initiatives related to research and development, digitalisation and innovation to increase the capacity for real-time data transmission and analysis. The most important experiment highlighting the advantages that digitalisation can bring to the energy system will be represented in 2021 by Snam’s first “future” district, the Bologna “Flagship” District, which will be equipped with the most advanced technologies to measure results in terms of operational effectiveness, safety, integrity and reliability of assets.
Snam’s innovation efforts are focused on three strategic areas:
- Energy efficiency and emission reduction in the core business;
- Digitalisation of the core business;
- Investments for the energy transition.
The Alliance for Sustainability: promoting Italy’s sustainable growth through digital
In 2020, Snam joined the Alliance for Sustainabilityinitiative, a project carried out in collaboration with growITup, an Open Innovation platform created by Cariplo Factory in partnership with Microsoft Italia, with the aim of promoting the sustainable growth of the country thanks to digital, in line with European plans to relaunch the economy.
The Alliance for Sustainability envisages a strategic collaboration with major corporations, the academic world and start-ups to develop new projects through open innovation that can tackle the most urgent climate and environmental challenges and spread a green culture, leveraging technological trends and contributing to Italy’s sustainable development.
The Alliance’s work plan includes meetings with each member company, in which the needs in relation to sustainability are mapped, using Design Thinking methodologies.
In a round table discussion, the identified areas will be presented and possible common goals and synergies between the different companies will be assessed, together with sustainability-focused start-ups presenting their solutions.
Finally, a Digital Hackathon will be held where the ideas proposed and the needs identified will meet through the implementation of concrete solutions.