EIB Approves €300 Million Financing Programme to Advance Prysmian’s European R&D for Energy and Digital Networks

EIB Approves €300 Million Financing Programme to Advance Prysmian’s European R&D for Energy and Digital Networks

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank has approved a €300 million financing package for Prysmian, with the first €200 million tranche now signed, to support the company’s European R&D activities from 2025 to 2028. The funding will accelerate development of innovative, low-emission technologies designed to reinforce the sustainability, reliability, and performance of energy and telecom networks worldwide. R&D work will be carried out across Prysmian labs in Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti said the partnership aligns with REPowerEU and the TechEU programme, which aims to strengthen Europe’s innovation leadership. Prysmian executives highlighted the importance of the Bank’s continued support in advancing solutions for the energy transition and digital transformation. The company’s broader strategy targets 55% of revenue from sustainable products by 2028, supported by ongoing work from its 500 European R&D specialists.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 2-Dec-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a €300 million financing programme for Prysmian to accelerate its European research and development agenda from 2025 to 2028. Prysmian and the EIB have signed the first €200 million tranche, marking the beginning of a multi-year effort to strengthen innovation in the energy and telecommunications infrastructure sectors.

The funding will support Prysmian’s development of next-generation, low-emission and high-performance technologies that will enhance the reliability, security, and efficiency of global energy and communication networks. These R&D initiatives will be carried out across Prysmian’s major laboratories in Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, reinforcing the company’s European innovation footprint.

The agreement directly supports solutions needed for the energy transition and advancements in digital connectivity, such as improved cable technologies for renewable energy integration, stronger grid resilience, and secure, high-capacity telecom networks. Prysmian’s work will focus on lowering carbon impacts while enabling more efficient and intelligent infrastructure across the value chain.

“This investment reflects the EIB’s commitment to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness through innovation,” said Gelsomina Vigliotti, EIB Vice-President. “Projects that improve network sustainability and performance are essential to accelerating the energy and digital transitions, and they align squarely with the goals of REPowerEU and TechEU.”

Giovanni Zancan, Senior Vice President of Finance at Prysmian, emphasized the significance of the Bank’s backing: “The EIB’s ongoing support for both our R&D and industrial operations reaffirms the strength of our financial position and fuels the creation of innovative solutions essential to the energy transition and digital transformation.”

The financing complements the EU’s broader REPowerEU strategy and the EIB Group’s TechEU programme—an initiative aimed at deploying €70 billion in investment over 2025–2027 to mobilise €250 billion in real-economy innovation. The partnership with Prysmian stands as a key example of the Bank’s intent to boost technology leadership in strategic industrial sectors.

Highlighting the company’s long-term goals, Srinivas Siripurapu, Prysmian’s Chief Sustainability, Innovation and R&D Officer, noted: “Europe is central to our research activities, beginning with our Global R&D Center in Milan. Our 500 employees across European labs consistently drive development of responsible and cutting-edge technologies. Through our ‘Accelerating Growth’ strategy, we aim for 55% of revenues to come from sustainable solutions by 2028—and EIB’s support strengthens our ability to reach that target.”

Background information

EIB

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight key priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world. The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. The EIB Group signed 99 operations totalling €10.98 billion in Italy in 2024, unlocking almost €37 billion of investment in the real economy. All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment. Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the funds made available by the Group unlocked over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised a further €110 billion for startups and scale-ups. Around half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

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Prysmian

Prysmian is a global cable solutions provider leading the energy transition and digital transformation. By leveraging its wide geographical footprint and extensive product range, its track record of technological leadership and innovation, and a strong customer base, the company is well-placed to capitalise on its leading positions and win in new and growing markets. Prysmian’s business strategy perfectly matches key market drivers by developing resilient, high-performing, sustainable and innovative cable solutions in the segments of transmission, power grid, electrification and digital solutions. Prysmian is a public company listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, with almost 150 years of experience, over 33 000 employees, 107 plants and 27 R&D centres in over 50 countries, and over €17 billion of revenues in 2024.

Media contact:
Lorenzo Squintani
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+352437982528

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank