Saint-Gobain, a company specialised in
sustainable construction and present in the province of Modena (more
specifically with its main headquarters in Fiorano Modenese), is among the 100
most innovative companies in the world for the tenth consecutive time, as has
been established by the "Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovator " 2021.
The ranking takes into account the number of patents filed, but also the impact
of a company's inventions on the patents filed by others, the percentage of
patents successfully issued as well as the commitment to their legal
protection.
Since the first appointment in 2011,
Saint-Gobain has:
- filed more than 4,000 patents and
sponsored over 100 research theses;
- developed important product innovations in all the market segments to
maintain positions of leadership, by combining performance, customer benefits
and sustainability;
- improved the production processes, in particular by making them more
efficient from the point of view of energy and resources;
- brought innovation also in the management of the customer service and
logistics, especially thanks to digital technology and the use of data and
artificial intelligence.
“Saint-Gobain is able to constantly
reinvent itself to support customers and meet the expectations of the company.
In rapidly changing and highly competitive markets, innovation is more than
ever the cornerstone of our strategy. Our teams are fully deployed to face the
great challenges of our time, more specifically the scientific and
technological ones, at the service of our reason for being - Making the World a
Better Home. To be acknowledged among the 100 most innovative companies in the
world for the 10th consecutive year is a source of great pride" - said
Benoit Bazin, Chief Operating Officer of Saint-Gobain.
Despite the global pandemic, the Group,
with its 3,600 researchers, invested 428 million euros in R&D in 2020. More
than 400 patents are filed each year to protect and enhance the value of these
innovations, strengthening the Group's position of leadership in the reference
markets. Saint-Gobain boasts eight cross-functional R&D centres around the
world, flanked by various units dedicated to specific businesses or
geographical areas. These eight centres offer the entire Group a broad spectrum
of expertise in materials and scientific processes. Innovation in Saint-Gobain
is broadly conceived, through a co-development approach with customers and
suppliers, but also through academic partnerships and collaborations with
start-ups and innovative business incubators.
In Italy, where its history dates back to
as far as 1889, Saint-Gobain now has 36 production sites, where about 2,200
employees work, for a turnover of 660 million euros (2020 figure).
“We are proud of the contribution that the
companies of the Group in our country make to the worldwide R&D network -
underlined Gaetano Terrasini, CEO of Saint-Gobain in Italy. We constantly work
closely with universities and collaborate with start-ups with the aim of
developing new high-performance technologies that make use of technologies
developed around the world. However, we always keep an eye on our territory,
adapting construction materials to our systems and producing 90% of them in
Italy.”
The renewal of this recognition is a
tribute to Saint-Gobain's constant attention to innovation and to R&D. It
rewards the dedication and skills of the Saint-Gobain teams in providing
customers with new and distinctive solutions that meet the challenges of
safeguarding the planet, the pursuit of comfort and well-being, productivity
and performance.
