Prysmian Group, in collaboration with the innovation center Corporate Hangar, is ready to launch 'Alesea', which will work as a virtual cable reel assistant and will be the first startup project of Corporate Hangar.

'Alesea' will provide an intelligent virtual assistant for the management of power cable reels. "We are focusing on digital to expand the scope of our services," Fanciulli said, EVP.

'Alesea' developed by Corporate Hangar, an innovation center established in 2017 by the Prysmian Group to support and develop high-value projects that have attracted strong interest, is the first initial project that can enter the implementation phase. 'Alesea' consists of a smart device mounted on a cable drum, a cloud infrastructure where data is stored and processed, and an intuitive Web platform. Area is equipped with GPS locator, perimeter and motion sensors and multi-network mobile communication that provides worldwide coverage. The system provides real-time access to information on cable drum location, possible theft and tampering situations, drum usage and the amount of cable available.

Innovation is an integral part of Prysmian's approach, allowing the Group to anticipate the needs of the market and meet customers' requirements with increasingly innovative solutions. Corporate Hangar is where Prysmian identifies, develops and implements promising ideas without interfering with the Group's successful business model. Prysmian and Corporate Hangar have formed a team dedicated to developing the latest solutions and continuously improving the services offered to their customers. The Corporate Hangar team has extensive experience and assists clients not only during the project launch phase, but also with data analysis, insight and support during the entire decision-making and business plan development process.

'Alesea' is the result of the unique partnership between Prysmian and Corporate Hangar. Data automatically stored in the cloud can be retrieved at any time, viewed on desktops and customizable mobile platforms. Thus, 'Alesea' offers full inventory management services, while contributing to the reduction of the total cost of cable management with better asset utilization and higher operating efficiency. In addition, the device is assembled at the cable production stage, so that there is no need to interfere with the site, while at the same time keeping the impact on the environment, optimized logistics and cable waste and scrap to a minimum.

Francesco Fanciulli, Deputy Managing Director, Energy, Prysmian Group, said: "Asea transforms cable reels from packaging into smart assets. This tool will enable us to support our partners by helping them improve their performance in terms of operational efficiency and sustainability. This digital solution for the cable industry confirms that the Group is at the forefront of innovation. We have an ambitious development roadmap and aim to reach a global scale by 2020 at the earliest."

Following an extensive research and development process in recent months in conjunction with Prysmian's Digital Innovation Lab, it has tested more than 1,000 'Alesea' devices in seven countries and the device is now ready for large-scale distribution. 'Alesea' is a dynamic solution that will continue to evolve by collaborating with customers and industry partners to meet emerging market demand and keep pace with the latest applications.