The company as a Stakeholder

The management of company assets

Acea protects and valorises its tangible and intangible assets, seeking a sustainable financial position and governing the internal needs, linked to the operational management and the growth prospects, consistently with the aims expressed in the business mission and the strategic plan.

In 2018 investments totalled € 630.8 million, up 18.5% (€ 532.3 million in 2017). Analysing their breakdown by business area, note: the Environment segment with € 20 million for the expansion of the Monterotondo Marittimo plant, for works on the WtE plants in Terni and San Vittore and for works on the waste treatment and biogas production site in Orvieto; the Commercial and Trading segment for € 5.3 million; the Water segment for € 329.7 million relating to reclamation and expansion works on water and sewerage pipes in the areas served, extraordinary maintenance of water centres and works on treatment and recovery of water leaks; the Energy Infrastructure segment with € 238.3 million for revamping of the Mandela Castel Madama hydroelectric power plant, expansion of the district heating network in the south of Rome and works on the HV/MV/ LV networks for expansion and maintenance. Finally, the Parent Company with investments for about €10 million.

CHART NO. 41 – DISTRIBUTION OF INVESTMENTS BY MACRO AREAS (2017-2018)

Protection of assets and management of internal risks

The protection of the company’s assets, the prevention of fraud and compliance with current security regulations, with particular reference to the protection of privacy and sensitive data (GDPR Regulation 2016/679) are handled by the Risk & Compliance Function, which includes the Company Protection Unit.

To this Unit is entrusted the task of defining and disseminating the guidelines and polities in terms of safeguarding and protection of property and of coordinating the implementation of plans for the continuity of operation and management of emergencies prepared by the competent structures and Companies of the Group.
The Unit carries out the measures aimed at ensuring an adequate level of security on the company’s premises, managing the security and reception facilities and personnel, and controlling the Security Room (SS), the video surveillance, anti-intrusion and alarm systems active within the company.

In 2018, a procedure was defined for accessing premises with a reception service.

In collaboration with the relevant structures and companies of the Group, the Unit also coordinates the proper performance of the activities required by judicial authorities, the security institutions and the police.

The central ICT systems are essential for the operational continuity of the services provided. Acea therefore has a management plan in place for emergencies that result in the systems being unavailable. It includes specific guidelines that specifies the operations necessary to minimise the duration of the systems’ unavailability.
The Business furthermore adopts guidelines and procedures at Group level for IT security and for the protection of the business’ information assets (information and data processed), that define the principles of behaviour, which employees and collaborators must adhere to, the arrangements for use of computer, electronic and digital resources (such as access to the internet, e-mail, PC, etc.) and the controls aimed at combating possible computer crimes.

During the year, a procedure was defined for the management of access to the Acea Group’s IT systems with the aim of unambiguously identifying all internal and external users authorised to access IT systems, guaranteeing access to IT systems and data in line with the tasks assigned, tracing workflows and determining a structured governance of system authorisations.
Also in 2018, following the indications of the Ministry for Economic Development (MISE) and the Information Department for Safety/Security (DIS), Acea has focused on the extension of protections within the cyberspace domain, furthermore improving the measures for the protection of networks and SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) devices, already present.

The commitment to research and innovation

Scientific and technological innovation at the service of business processes is one of the pillars of the Group’s strategic planning, which in 2018 recorded total investments of approximately € 9.3 million.

In order to achieve the challenging innovation objectives, in 2018 the Open Innovation Unit was set up within the Innovation, Technology and Solutions Function of Acea SpA. Its task is to manage the Group’s line of innovation in accordance with industrial and financial strategies and in agreement with the various Departments and Functions of the parent and Group companies.
In order to systematise and coordinate the process, an Innovation Model was created that establishes guidelines and frameworks at a Group level to coordinate, manage and develop innovation, defining governance (management of the phases and methods of involvement of internal and external actors), processes (standardisation of the phases of engagement of internal and external actors) and tools (offering support in the different phases of the innovation framework).

In accordance with the Group’s Innovation Model, in 2018 periodic meetings were organised with the heads of innovation in each industrial segment to discuss and liaise with them. A mapping of existing and planned innovative projects was produced, followed by a classification thereof according to the business of reference, the technology implemented and the level of innovation.

In addition, in order to enhance the value of the Group’s patent and innovation assets, a study of the intellectual property portfolio was launched.

In 2018, a patent was filed for industrial inventions relating to the remote reading device for water meters (equipped with pulse device) with NB-IoT technology.

In addition, during the year innovation initiatives were launched with positive repercussions on customers, infrastructure and personnel.

With regard to the customer stakeholder, for example, the projects concerned the accessibility and inclusiveness of customers with different forms and degrees of disability; in the area of infrastructure, experiments were done with blockchain technology in peer-to-peer energy exchange, and, in the water area, a project for finding hidden leaks using traditional techniques (acoustic) and testing of innovative techniques (Noise Logger and Satellite Radar Interferometry). For the benefit of the personnel, an experiment was carried out to improve the safety of operators in the field, and more generally activities were organised to involve employees through workshops and idea generation sessions on innovation topics in line with the Group Leadership Model (see also the chapter on Personnel, section Human capital development and communications).

By way of example, the boxes below illustrate some of the main research and innovation projects carried out in 2018 in the Group’s various Industrial Areas. In any case, remember also what was illustrated above in the paragraph Relations with institutions, and in particular in the sub-paragraphs Some projects for the development of the territory and The comparison with the reference context, see also the chapter Customers and the community, paragraph Quality provided and the section Relations with the environment.