Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Thudor, how does Nexans contribute to the electrification of the world?

Olivier Thudor: In 1879, Thomas Edison filed his patent for the first durable incandescent light bulb. That same year, Nexans was founded after the Swiss engineer François Borel and the businessman Édouard Berthoud developed a waterproof electric cable. Since then, Nexans has established itself internationally as a developer and manufacturer of cable systems. For more than a century, we have played a crucial role in global electrification and are currently committed to the electrification of the future, which will be safer, sustainable, renewable, decarbonized and accessible to all. We aim to be pioneers of the energy transition, are committed to delivering the highest performance standards and work united to achieve our ambitious goal. Our vertically integrated approach is a significant strategic advantage. We offer everything from A to Z, from cable manufacturing and production of connections to laying the cables.

Wirtschaftsforum: Nexans has a long history. What have been the milestones in the recent past?

Olivier Thudor: Since the year 2000, the corporate group, originally known as Société d’Exploitation des Câbles Électriques (SCE), has been operating under the name Nexans. In 2002, the production site in Hof was taken over, which has been active in cable connections since the late 1950s. In 2007, the companies GPH and EUROMOLD were merged. Last year, Nexans invested about two million EUR to expand their manufacturing capacities in Hof and established a new, fully automated CNC machining center. Nexans has also committed to achieving 'Net-Zero' emissions by 2050 as part of the 'Science Based Targets' (SBTi) initiative.
 

Wirtschaftsforum: How do you contribute to sustainable electrification with your range of services?

Olivier Thudor: The Nexans Group develops and produces cable systems and services in the fields of power generation and transmission, distribution, consumers, as well as industry and solutions. Nexans Power Accessories Germany GmbH, located in Hof, Upper Franconia, is a specialist for high-quality connection technology and produces cable connections for 34 application areas, from low voltage systems through medium to high voltage connectors, as well as cable lugs for power cables. An important focus in developing new application areas in Hof will be renewable energies. Here in Hof, we began digitalization in 2011 and will continue to invest in the efficiency and digitalization of all internal processes in the future. In addition to expanding economic efficiency and increasing environmental orientation, our 140 employees in Hof are another basis for future success. Training and knowledge management are important issues here. We are connected with our history and try to preserve the legacy of each location and build a common culture. As a group, we aim to accompany the journey from power production to the end-user towards a fully electric world. Sustainability plays a major role, for example, we have a very complex recycling system for metal and also recycle the plastic from the insulation.

Wirtschaftsforum: What plans does Nexans have for the future and how will these be implemented?

Olivier Thudor: Electricity will be our future, and with electromobility the demand has increased even further. We continually strive to improve our products and adapt them to the requirements of our customers. With even greater flexibility in our supply chain, we have created a good foundation for this. Under the leadership of our CEO Christopher Guérin, Nexans has also initiated a major simplification process to focus exclusively on electrification. An important focus is the optimization of our customer portfolio from 17,000 customers in 2020 to 4,000 today. We have kept only our strategic customers to deliver differentiated solutions based on long-term partnership agreements. Nexans is therefore no longer a general supplier. Our goal is to be the best in the core business areas related to electrification.