INTEM – Innovation & Technology for Energy Measurement is the first spin-off established by the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM). Founded by Dr. Domenico Giordano and Dr. Davide Signorino, researchers at INRIM, together with Eng. Adelio Romanenghi, CEO of STE S.r.l., the company aims to transform scientific expertise and technologies developed through public research into innovative solutions for the energy and railway sectors.
The establishment of INTEM represents an important milestone in INRIM’s technology transfer strategy, demonstrating the strategic role of metrology in supporting the energy transition, the digitalisation of critical infrastructures, and sustainable mobility.
From Research to Innovation
INTEM was created to bring to the market technologies developed through more than fifteen years of research in electrical metrology, advanced measurement systems, and energy efficiency. By combining the scientific expertise of INRIM with the industrial experience of STE, the company acts as a bridge between research and industry, delivering high-value technological products and services for railway manufacturers, infrastructure managers, energy utilities, and testing laboratories.
Its expertise ranges from the design of measurement systems traceable to international standards to the development of advanced hardware and software platforms for monitoring complex electrical networks.
Technologies for Energy and Railways
Among its core technologies are reference test benches for the metrological verification of onboard railway power and energy meters, synchronised distributed monitoring systems for DC railway networks, reference systems for evaluating the efficiency of power converters, and innovative diagnostic solutions for railway traction systems.
Particular attention has been devoted to proprietary algorithms for detecting electrical arcs between the pantograph and the overhead contact line. These technologies were developed through research activities coordinated by INRIM and have already been successfully validated during field trials on operational railway vehicles.
A Hub for Technology Transfer
INTEM operates within a strong network of collaborations involving universities, research organisations, and industrial partners across Italy and Europe. Many of its technologies originated from research carried out within European projects funded by the European Commission and EURAMET in the fields of energy efficiency, smart grids, railway transportation, and advanced metrological characterisation of electrical measurement systems.
The company aims to accelerate technology transfer by transforming research outcomes into commercially available products and services that support industrial innovation and the decarbonisation of transport and energy systems.
Looking Ahead
With operational facilities in Turin and Vimercate (Milan), INTEM aims to become a leading European provider of advanced measurement technologies for the energy and railway sectors.
The creation of INRIM’s first spin-off demonstrates how public research can generate industrial innovation, strengthen technological competitiveness, and create new opportunities for sustainable economic growth by turning scientific excellence into practical solutions for society. By combining the metrological expertise of Dr. Domenico Giordano and Dr. Davide Signorino with the industrial know-how of Eng. Adelio Romanenghi, INTEM embodies a new model of collaboration between research institutions and industry, accelerating the transfer of cutting-edge technologies from the laboratory to the market.