SCAME PARRE S.p.A., head of the SCAME group, is a manufacturer of components and systems for electrical installations in the civil, services and industrial sectors, ‘born and raised’ in the mountains of the upper Val Seriana, in the Province of Bergamo, northern Italy.
The family-run business was established in 1963, and over the years, has expanded its presence worldwide through a network of 18 branches and loyal distributors in over 80 countries. “We export not only products but also values,” says Stefano Scainelli, the current CEO and son of one of the founders. “Flexibility, product customisation, and an extensive portfolio of products differentiate us from our competitors.”
He explains that SCAME comprises three strategic business areas that cover the original manufacture of products for electrical installations in industrial and tertiary environments, including for heavy-duty purposes, and the development of a specialised articulated range of ATEX IECEx products for electrical installations in hazardous environments.
SCAME PARRE also designs and manufactures a wide range of robust EVSE components and quality EV charging points in line with increased ESG compliance needs to address the prospect of developing sustainable transport within cities.
The company’s production base is concentrated in Europe – primarily in Italy, with a manufacturing facility in Slovakia, a metal-working operation in France and a production plant in Portugal that makes fast DC chargers for e-mobility.
Electric development
In 1999, the company entered the e-mobility sector. This happened by accepting a challenge and marrying an idea, reflects Mr Scainelli, when the Italian EV association CEI CIVES approached the company to create a specific connector for EV charging.
“We were the first company in the world to design a charging connector dedicated to electric cars in a professional way. In the beginning, i.e., before 2007, lithium battery technology had not yet been disseminated, and hardly anybody believed in the future growth of this market.”
“Starting in the late 1990s and all through the following decade, we intensified our focus on R&D to launch several solutions following the imposition of new regulations, thus significantly contributing to the European standard for EV chargers that is in force today.”
In 2010, the company developed its first alternating current (AC) charging system for public and private areas. Many steps have been made since then, developing a comprehensive range of stylish and state-of-the-art stations and related services. Now, as a result of its extensive know-how and its comprehensive range, SCAME is able to provide tangible, high-quality solutions for charging electric vehicles, suitable for a wide spectrum of applications: private, semi-private and public.
The backbone of innovation
A decade later, the company further extended its focus. In 2021, SCAME acquired Magnum Cap, a Portuguese company focused on the production and distribution of direct current (DC) fast charging systems for electric vehicles. With this acquisition, SCAME PARRE’s e-mobility offering was complete.
In 2022, SCAME finalised the acquisition of 55% of Topgraf Srl, a company operating in the ICT field, specialised in the creation of cloud-based solutions for the IOT, integrated logistics, and management of the pre-sale and post-sale commercial cycle for products and services.
Mr Scainelli points out that just like the acquisition of Magnum Cap, the acquisition of Topgraf was part of SCAME’s broader strategy aimed at further strengthening its leading role in systems and infrastructures for e-mobility.
“This has propelled the company into being recognised as a supplier of high-quality and dependable EVSE components and systems, enabling users to take the first step toward supporting the environmental agenda. E-mobility remains an exciting area of focus for SCAME.”
He points out that R&D and investment are two components that form the true backbone of innovation, feeding new ideas and fuelling future ventures. “At SCAME, both represent key pillars of the company culture.”
“The role of R&D in a company is vital, especially to anticipate megatrends, but also in the process of analysing and satisfying market needs. This feeds into the sales network and marketing, which have the task of coordinating the entire process of innovation, implementation and launch of new products and services. ”
“Unsurprisingly, this represents a major area of consistent investment – over the last three years, we have effectively doubled the number of people in R&D, who now make up over 10% of all SCAME employees.”
Recognised specialist
The company’s contribution to a greener society has not gone unnoticed. In recognition of its commitment to sustainability, reliability, and safety, the company has been honoured with numerous sustainability awards on the global stage. A shining example is the European Sustainable Energy Award 2022 in the “Innovation” category, which the company received as one of the participants in the Multi Utilities Smart Energy GRIDS (Muse Grids) research project, within the Europe-wide Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) initiative.
The project goal is to maximise local energy independence through optimised management of energy production via end user-driven control strategies; smart grid functionality; storage; combined heat and power; and renewable energy sources integration. Within the project, SCAME provided its technological know-how for the construction of a V2G charging infrastructure capable of both charging an electric vehicle and discharging its battery, when required, thus feeding the stored energy back into the grid.
“The e-mobility sector is currently booming, thanks to both technology and the political choices made by the European Community. Whilst technology has provided solutions with increasingly affordable prices, the European Community has made radical choices pushing the theme of climate change,” Mr Scainelli points out.
“Not only is this a major global issue, but also a significant area of business. For SCAME, e-mobility is just one of our many policies aimed at reducing our impact on the environment. Our fleet today is 50% electric, and I believe that we will reach 80% by 2025.”
He affirms that SCAME is set to remain at the forefront of innovation. “We were born as a simple electromechanical company, and we have now developed into a specialist in the electronic field. Our challenge for the future will be to maintain our position as market leaders and exploit this position to take advantage of emerging new opportunities.”
