CEO Ezio Basso has been leading the 45-year-old Prima Industrie for 16 years. During that time, the revenues of the company have quadrupled from 111 million euros to approximately 450 million euros (2019 data). Lately, Prima Industrie has invested in many new manufacturing plants. In 2015, a new factory was opened in Suzhou, China. Seinäjoki, Finland welcomed Finn-Power in the form of a modern manufactur ing plant in 2019. In Minneapolis, the US, a larger and more efficient Laserdyne plant was opened in June 2020. The latest addition, a modern and sustainable manufacturing plant in Collegno, Italy, was completed in June 2021.
What are the most important megatrends that shape the business environment for Prima Industrie? The company is a world-class manufacturer of laser and sheet metal working machinery, industrial laser sources and electronics, and additive manufacturing systems.
– As we move from an old plant to a new one, efficiency will increase. Not only because it is designed and built with a special attention to energy efficiency and sustainability, and located in the same area of our Headquarters, Tech Center, and Advanced Laser Center, but also because people are happy to work in an environment that is more modern and sustainable, Basso says.
“Megatrend most likely to influence Prima Industrie is the green and circular economy.”
SUSTAINABILITY MEANS NEW BUSINESS
Sustainability is an important value to Prima Industrie, its employees, and customers alike. Green and circular economy are one of the megatrends that are most likely to influence Prima Industrie business. The circular economy aims at combining development with the saving of natural resources.
–Good examples of circular economy in our products include repairing parts such as aerospace turbine vanes and the manufacturing of spare parts using additive manufacturing, Basso lists.
– With additive manufacturing, there are no scraps, so you are free of the lengthy and costly process of disposing of the extra materials. While circular economy deals with the challenges of the present, space economy is a geopolitical megatrend
of the future.
– We are a market leader in the aerospace sector, there is no discussion about that. The aerospace industry is buying approximately 30 laser machines for drilling applications per year, and we deliver 25 of those. But still, currently, it is a niche market, Basso states.
– The space economy is gaining ground and our technologies are used for the manufacturing of components for space rockets and satellite launchers.
“Instead of flying to another country, we are now creating applications and methods for the installation and aftersales to be handled remotely.”
NEW NORMAL: LESS TRAVELING
As cities are already home to more than half of the world’s population, and the number is continuously growing, smart cities megatrend is bound to have a strong effect on businesses. The
pandemic confirmed that cities must be more resilient. Smart technology proved its importance.
– We learned to do things without travelling. Instead of flying to another country, we are now creating applications and methods for the installation and aftersales to be handled remotely, via augmented reality, Basso shares an example of the company’s new normal.
The Urbanization megatrend will manifest itself mainly in the sectors of elevators and escalators, steel doors, white goods, HVAC, and many other products. E-mobility makes cleaner and more efficient transportation systems more common. There will be demand for Prima Industrie products in 3D laser cutting of hot-stamped parts and making battery housings. And finally, health and wellbeing are a megatrend that is based on the aging of the world’s population. From metal walls in hospitals to refrigerators storing vaccines, many applications need laser machines.
The range of needs created by these megatrends is wide. Basso has confidence in the future of Prima Industrie.
– Whatever the industry needs, we have the right product, he concludes.
