Since its inception, Hera has had “Health and Safety in the workplace” among its founding principles. For this reason, over time it has defined specific strategies and implemented improvement plans that proved to be effective, as shown by the positive performance recorded over the years.

Especially in 2021, Hera achieved a significant decrease both in the frequency of accidents and in the number of days the employees were absent from work, reaching the best results in its history.

Hera’s strategy in the plastic recycling is crystal clear: strengthen its leadership through the expansion in new market segments, with the aim to transform rigid plastics in addition to the flexible ones that Aliplast currently treats and, at the same time, approach new business niches, as in the case of carbon fibres.

Aliplast Group – with an EBITDA doubling in 2021 vs. 2020 and reaching 36.5 million euro – will be a key driver of the 122-million-euro growth at EBITDA level that the Group targets in the Waste area by 2025.

The energy efficiency business is experiencing an unprecedented expansion, given the incentive systems that the Italian government is providing, mostly in the private condominium market.

Hera has always been active in the market for private residential customers, large condominiums. Since the introduction of the 110% ecobonus, the Group has continued to position itself as a leading operator with consolidated experience in energy requalification work.

The findings from the 2020 survey indicate that clients are generally “delighted” with the services they receive from Hera. Even in a difficult year, marked by the pandemic, Hera has found ways to interpret and anticipate the expectations of its customers. The digitalization has continuously enriched the customer experience, while new offers have paid increasing attention to the environment and the specific individual needs.

The good image that Hera has built over time – through the development of customer-centric offers – leads to high levels of satisfaction, favouring a virtuous circle. This promotes cross-selling, word of mouth and loyalty.

One of the typical features of companies that are leaders in their industry is the ability to consolidate their leadership over time through innovation.

Hera nurtures that intangible asset, the innovation, through continuous investment, by leveraging some specific strengths.

While we take a closer look at some of the new projects Hera is working on, we try to understand what are the specific factors that drive the Group’ s success in innovation, through some questions that we put to Mr. Salvatore Molè, Central Innovation Director of Hera Group.

Since 23rd November 2020, Hera is part of the selected group of 323 companies included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World, a basket consisting of listed companies that are in the top 10% of the ranking for their sector. The assessment, i.e., the process to operate the selection to be included in the index, is conducted by S&P Global on the basis of a detailed survey, composed by 540 questions and submitted to the leading 2,500 issuers in the world.

Given the high score achieved (87/100), Hera has also entered the selective Dow Jones Sustainability Index Europe, composed by European players that are real champions in sustainability performances. In Europe, the ESG awareness of both issuing companies and asset managers dedicated to Socially Responsible Investing have a more developed and consolidated tradition compared to other continents.

Hera has designed its Business Plan to 2024 consistently with the external scenario, where international policy makers are indicating clear priorities in terms of environment, society, and innovation. Hera has outlined a dual path, both for the creation of Shared Value and for the industrial strategy, pursuing respectively the UN 2030 Agenda and the European policies – especially those featured in the “Next Generation EU” program. This approach allows Hera to make a concrete contribution to the achievement of major sustainability goals, while offering the perspective of attractive returns by fuelling Group growth.

Hera Business Solution (“HBS”), the cutting-edge offer of Hera Group dedicated to businesses, is here. The entire expertise gained by a leading Group in the efficient and circular management of all utility services is made accessible to clients. The offer promotes a new approach that supports clients with holistic assistance.

These new multi-service contracts for businesses go beyond the traditional supply, since they facilitate development towards circular economy models, by pursuing efficiency even in the use of services.

In the age of great changes with global impact, technological progress is one of the most disruptive. It challenges business models, while requiring deep rethinking even of the more traditional activities in the industry.

Widespread use of new technologies is revolutionizing the way multi-utilities operate. It is deeply transforming services offered to customers and their own expectations.

The strict lockdown adopted in Italy led to a number of changes in marketing and customer-service activities. On the other hand, consumption has also changed.

Hera has put into play the proven experience of Hera Comm to deal with the new situation in such a way as to ensure together the safety of people and the continuity of service.

In these first months of the year Hera’s scope expanded, as a reflection of the deal completed with Ascopiave. The integration of EstEnergy is already bearing fruit.