Cinzia Farisè on Italy’s Energy Transition: Interview with Il Sole 24 ORE
Recently, Cinzia Farisè, EVP of Power Grid & Electrification, spoke with Il Sole 24 ORE, sharing her perspective on the importance of training, innovation, and people development in supporting the energy transition. You can read the fully translated article below.
15 January 2026
INNOVATION AND SKILLS / With the Power Grid Academy, the Italian multinational is placing a strong focus on training to build competencies along the entire value chain in the electrical grid sector and to guide the energy transition. Thanks to the E3X technology and advanced monitoring solutions the company is becoming a provider of integrated solutions for more resilient networks. A framework agreement worth 382.5 million euros with Terna, investments of 270 million euros in Italy, award winning innovations in the Netherlands and a partnership with Versalis for the circular economy demonstrate a remarkable rise.
PRYSMIAN - Training at the heart of the strategy to grow talent and build the networks of the future
The energy transition requires electrical grids that are more powerful, resilient, and sustainable. It is no longer sufficient to know how to manufacture cables. Competence must be built and strengthened. Prysmian, a global leader in cable solutions for energy and telecommunications, has chosen to respond to this challenge with a forward-looking vision by investing in training. Not only technology, but above all people. This is how Prysmian’s Power Grid Academy was created, a new global learning hub designed to train the sustainable leaders of tomorrow.
The Academy stems from clear awareness. The path towards decarbonization cannot take place without solid human capital. “Being with our customers means not only providing products and solutions but also sharing expertise and know-how. Training is the bridge that connects innovation, sustainability and reliability,” explains Cinzia Farisè, EVP Power Grid and Electrification at Prysmian. “Investing in people is the first step in building a stronger and safer electricity grid capable of supporting the energy transition.”
Prysmian has therefore chosen to invest in people through a programme that aims to preserve and expand existing technical knowledge, create an international community that encourages collaboration, and strengthen its position as a provider of innovative solutions. The Power Grid Academy is a turning point not only for the company itself but for the entire power grid sector.
Continuous training for more resilient networks
Prysmian is in a decisive phase of its strategic evolution. At the beginning of 2025, the company launched the Accelerating Growth plan, which aims to generate more than 55% of revenues from solutions by 2028. This shift requires significant effort in research, development, and especially in the building of cross functional competencies. The company has allocated more than 216 million euros to research and innovation in Italy between 2021 and 2024, with a further 270 million already planned by 2028. The global research and development centre in Milan, recently renovated, is the beating heart of these projects and now houses more than 130 professionals in a space designed to foster cross functional work, creativity and the exchange of expertise.
The Power Grid Academy fits into this ecosystem as a platform that brings together internal training, the sharing of best practices and continuous dialogue with customers, partners and stakeholders around the world. The idea is simple yet powerful. To build the grid of the future, those who will design, manage, and maintain it tomorrow must be trained today.
Innovative solutions and skills for the energy transition
The global energy landscape is marked by rapidly increasing demand and increasingly ambitious climate targets. The electricity grid must therefore evolve and become more capable, more connected, and more sustainable. Prysmian positions itself as a decarbonization powerhouse, contributing to the reduction of millions of tons of emissions every year through electrification and increasingly innovative systems.
A concrete example is Prysmian’s victory in the Quick and Simple Substation Challenge, a competition launched by Dutch utilities Aliander, Enexis and Stedin to accelerate the construction of medium voltage substations. Prysmian proposed a plug and play solution using a flexible cable with a pre-installed connector, reducing installation time from two days to one. A simple yet revolutionary proposal and a model that can be replicated worldwide to address the shortage of specialized technicians.
In July 2025, Prysmian also signed a three-year framework agreement worth 382.5 million euros with Terna to strengthen the Italian electricity grid. The contract includes the supply of high voltage cables, accessories and maintenance services, confirming Prysmian’s central role in supporting Italy’s energy transition. “We will continue to work closely with Terna to make the Italian grid even more resilient and reliable,” said Marcello Del Brenna, CEO Prysmian Europe.
Beyond cables: Solutions for a sustainable future
Prysmian’s strategy is not limited to technological innovation. The company embraces a broad vision of sustainability that includes the circular economy, research into new solutions, and strategic partnerships. A strong example is the strategic partnership with Versalis, Eni’s chemical company, to give new life to plastic waste from cables through an advanced chemical recycling process and the creation of a dedicated supply chain.
Prysmian will collect plastic waste from its own production processes and from decommissioned cables supplied by customers. Versalis will transform this waste through the Hoop® technology at its Mantua plant, converting it first into pyrolysis oil and then into raw material for new plastic polymers. Prysmian will use these polymers to manufacture new high-performance cables. For the first time in the cable industry, a cross-linked cable with all its polymer layers can be chemically recycled on a large scale, helping to create a circular system. The first pilot project will begin in Italy in the second half of 2026, further demonstrating Prysmian’s commitment to sustainable solutions for customers and the planet.
Another example of innovation that strengthens network resilience and supports ESG objectives is E3X, Prysmian’s patented technology that increases the transmission capacity of overhead lines by up to 25% while also reducing energy losses and carbon footprint.
A vision that starts with people
At the centre of everything is human capital. This element is often overlooked, yet it is treated as a strategic pillar by Prysmian. The Power Grid Academy clearly expresses this vision. The electricity grid of the future cannot exist without a new generation of professionals capable of designing, managing, and innovating.
This does not apply solely to technical workers. Training also includes managers, researchers, engineers, and specialists who must learn and work together across traditional disciplinary boundaries. The Academy is a global hub, yet it maintains strong roots in Italy, where Prysmian has its headquarters and seven manufacturing facilities. The goal is to develop a shared mindset that supports integrated solutions, cross functional collaboration, and a culture of continuous innovation.
The creation of a global community is a central part of the project. Not only internal teams, but also customers, suppliers, and business partners will take part in training, seminars, and workshops. This system wide approach reflects Prysmian’s ambition to be a strategic partner in the energy transition.
The Power Grid Academy trains the leaders of the transition
Prysmian’s Power Grid Academy is a global internal learning hub designed to train the sustainable leaders of the future. Its aim is to develop skills that support the entire electricity grid value chain, encourage innovation, and reinforce Prysmian’s role as a strategic partner in the energy transition. The Academy is built around three main objectives.
The first is to preserve, certify, and expand the technical knowledge accumulated in almost 150 years of company history. The second is to create a multi-level community that fosters collaboration and exchange across geographies and specializations. The third is to position Prysmian as a provider of integrated solutions for more resilient and sustainable grids.
The training programme covers all the skills needed in the Power Grid sector, from technical expertise in cable design and installation to managerial competencies for complex project management, as well as the new challenges linked to sustainability and the digitalization of networks. It is a holistic approach that recognizes the need for hybrid professionals capable of navigating technology, regulation, finance, and sustainability. As Cinzia Farisè notes, “Training is the bridge that connects innovation, sustainability and reliability. Investing in people is the first step in building a stronger and safer electricity grid.”
E3X: A technology that unlocks the untapped potential of overhead lines
E3X is Prysmian’s heat dissipating overhead conductor technology. At the heart of this solution is a thin ceramic coating protected by more than 15 patents and applicable to any overhead conductor.
The coating can be applied directly in the factory to new conductors or to existing lines using dedicated robotic systems. The robot mechanically cleans the conductor and applies the E3X coating, which hardens when exposed to the environment. This retrofitting method improves the performance of existing networks without requiring changes to infrastructure.
The benefits are significant. Conductor temperature can be reduced by up to 30%, overall losses by up to 20%, and current carrying capacity increased by up to 25%. The technology originated in the United States, where more than 70% of overhead lines are over 25 years old, and is now gaining ground in the Middle East and Brazil where high temperatures and long stretches of overhead lines create specific challenges.
E3X conductors can replace old conductors while retaining existing infrastructure. This makes it possible to increase network capacity without building new lines from scratch. Compatibility with standard accessories makes the technology easy to adopt, reducing both costs and installation times.