Working for the Community

We work towards enriching the communities around us, because we depend on them

We design, build and sell cables all across the globe. Wherever we go, we pursue socially responsible business by supporting the economic, social and cultural development of the communities where we work. Prysmian also helps to support social projects via the hours paid to employees involved in charitable activities.

social responsibility

Our Social Initiative and Projects - Putting people at the heart of what we do

When Prysmian started looking at how we could contribute to communities, our departure point was simple: begin with our products. We believe that access to energy and telecommunications is fundamental in the economic and social development of local communities. That’s why our corporate citizenship and philanthropy activities aim to support this access -- especially in developing countries, where we acquire some of the raw materials that make up our cables.

We work with communities because it is in line with our Mission, values, and Code of Ethics. Moreover, feedback from our stakeholders tells us that this aspect of Corporate Citizenship is important to them.
The Group has therefore adopted a Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy Policy to identify all activities that can help satisfy the needs of the communities through long-term initiatives aimed at solving socio-economic issues in areas where we do business, as well as through charitable donations.
In 2019, Prysmian Group donated sround €610,000 to local communities in cash and in-kind in the form of cables to support a number of initiatives across the world.

Projects and contribution to the community

With a view to contributing to the socio-economic development of the communities in which it operates, the Group has adopted a Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy policy, updated in 2019, to identify all activities that can help satisfy the needs of the community or communities, in line with the vision, mission, values, Code of Ethics and Policies put in place by the Group. This policy defines the main types of deliverable contributions, the guiding principles and operating methods, as well as monitoring and the modes of communication of the activities

Prysmian contributes to communities through either a cash donation, or with in-kind assistance. In North America, Prysmian has sponsored several non-profit organizations, such as the Lake Russell Tourism Coalition, the Freshwater Coast Foundation and the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission. As an example of in-kind donations, Prysmian France donated industrial cables to the NGO "Electriciens sans frontières" (ESF). These cables are used for numerous initiatives promoted by the NGO.

Nearly 40% of our philanthropy goes to Education and Youth, like the Comunità Nuova, chaired by Don Gino Rigoldi, chaplain of the "Cesare Beccaria" Correctional Institution for Minors in Milan (Italy), in order to support and assist its solidarity activities. The second-biggest category is Economic Development (18.7%). In this category, we supplied cables to one of Congo’s most important hospitals.

To find out more about our commitment to the communities around us, download our Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy Policy.

download our Policy

Looking to the Communities of the Future

Prysmian has joined the Solidaritas Foundation, a group of businesses with the aim of working towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Through Solidaritas, Prysmian organized several Corporate Volunteering events in 2019 whereby its employees donated their time during work hours to help the community.
With “Rise Against Hunger,” Prysmian management and employees packed 39,600 meals in May 2019 to be distributed in villages in Mozambique and Zimbabwe by non profit organizations. In June, a group of employees spent time handing out meals in the Fondazione Fratelli di San Francesco soup kitchen in Milan. In July, Prysmian staff took to the streets to pick up garbage in the area surrounding its Milan headquarters. They collected 176 kilos of trash from a street and a bicycle path. These efforts are ongoing and will continue in 2020.

In July 2019, a number of Prysmian employees, working in collaboration with Legambiente, donated a working day to the local community by cleaning a green space in the vicinity of the Milan HQ (Quartiere Bicocca): 84 kg of cuttings, 30 kg of glass, 25 kg of miscellaneous waste, 15 kg of building rubble, over 10 kg of bulky waste and a battery weighing 12 kg . In total, 176 kg of waste was removed from the road and the cycle path.

SPAIN - project entitled “L’economat de VNG”

This project, developed in 2014, continued during 2019 in Vilanova, Spain, where a building owned by the Company in the town centre was made available to Caritas to develop the “L’economat de VNG” project. This is a service that distributes food to individuals and families, in order to guarantee their primary needs and a minimum standard of life. The most interesting aspect of this social project is how it is administered: as in a supermarket, persons can select the food they need most at any given time.

ITALY – Chiulo Hospital

Following the donation of cables by Prysmian, in 2019 the volunteers of Electricians without borders, a non-profit group that improves access to electricity and water in developing areas throughout the world, completed the installation of a mini solar energy grid (delivering 50KW of power) at the Chiulo Hospital in rural Angola. This has improved living conditions in the area and contributed to achievement of the UN goal of guaranteeing access to renewable energy (SDG 7).

FRANCE - “Electriciens sans frontières” project

Also in 2019, Prysmian France donated industrial cables to the NGO “Electriciens sans frontières” (ESF). These cables are used for numerous initiatives promoted by the NGO, which, founded in 1986, is involved in many projects including, above all, the transmission and delivery of power to developing countries and communities afflicted by catastrophes. To date, the organisation employs over 1,200 volunteers distributed in 136 projects across 35 countries.

NORWAY - “Rett Fram Opplevelser”

Following on from 2018, during 2019 Prysmian Norway continued to donate to the humanitarian organisation “Rett Fram Opplevelser” the contributions intended for the Christmas presents of its customers, which now go to initiatives for children living in poor conditions.

ROMANIA – School for orphaned girls

Prysmian donated 350 metres of low voltage cables with copper conductors for the wiring of a new school for orphaned girls in the local community. The school will be administered by the Metropolitam “Buna Vestire” Church in Grãdinari, Olt.

Social Projects

Prysmian Group supports nonprofit group MediCinema to help patients in a Milan hospital

Working for the Community