Mar 9, 2023   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Stevanato Group Secures €130 Million ESG-Linked Financing From BNL BNP Paribas and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to Support Sustainable Global Growth

Stevanato Group S.p.A. (NYSE: STVN), a global provider of drug containment, drug delivery and diagnostic solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life sciences industries, today announced two separate agreements with BNL BNP Paribas and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group (CDP) to obtain ESG-linked funds to support its ongoing global expansion.

BNL BNP Paribas is participating in the financing with a contribution of €70 million which is tied to two ESG-related objectives including increasing the Company’s renewable-based energy and waste management improvements. An additional €60 million is being financed by CDP to be allocated to new investments in technological innovation, the purchase of state-of-the-art machinery, and the modernization of a production plant in Italy, which may also potentially generate positive employment effects.

The total amount of the two loans is €130 million. Together, the financing agreements help solidify the Company's commitment to organic and sustainable growth. The Company’s ongoing investments in the United States, Italy and China will expand regional production and meet rising global demand for high-performance drug containment solutions.

“In both the U.S. and Europe, we have been working alongside our customers to address their needs. With this added visibility, we see elevated demand in the coming years,” commented Marco Dal Lago, Chief Financial Officer of Stevanato Group. “The financing will help us expand much-needed capacity in the U.S., Italy, and China for our premium, high value solutions to meet our customers’ needs, maximize organic growth, and build long-term shareholder value.”

BNP BNL Paribas and CDP continue their commitment to supporting sustainable finance and companies that choose to link their investments to the achievement of ESG objectives.

Mariaelena Gasparroni, BNL BNP Paribas Corporate Banking Director: “In the spirit of partnership, thanks to sustainable finance instruments such as sustainability-linked loans, we continue to support Italian industries that are landmarks of the territories in which they operate and are recognized internationally as major players in their reference sectors. BNL BNP Paribas' loan to Stevanato Group, aimed at achieving sustainability objectives in the environmental field, is fully part of the "Positive Banking" strategy common to the Bank and the entire BNP Paribas Group worldwide, combining business and economic, environmental and social sustainability.”

“We are proud to have concluded this agreement, which confirms CDP's proximity to Italian entrepreneurship, rich in dynamic and cutting-edge companies that successfully project themselves towards pursuing ESG purposes. In this perspective, the ESG-linked financing in favor of Stevanato Group confirms CDP's concrete commitment to promoting evolved sustainable finance instruments through initiatives characterized by high levels of additionality and innovativeness,” said Andrea Nuzzi, Head of Enterprise and Financial Institutions at CDP.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may include forward-looking statements. The words “increasing”, “ongoing”, “to be”, “generate”, “rising”, “elevated”, “see”, “expand”, “continue”, and similar expressions (or their negative) identify certain of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are statements regarding the Company's intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the investments the Company expects to receive, the expansion of manufacturing capacity, the Company’s plans regarding its presence in the U.S. market, business strategies, the Company’s capacity to meet future market demands and support preparedness for future public health emergencies, and results of operations. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company’s present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. Forward-looking statements involve inherent known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond the Company's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as future market conditions, currency fluctuations, the behavior of other market participants, the actions of regulators and other factors such as the Company's ability to continue to obtain financing to meet its liquidity needs, changes in the political, social and regulatory framework in which the Company operates or in economic or technological trends or conditions. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. Except as required by law, the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

About Stevanato Group

Founded in 1949, Stevanato Group is a leading global provider of drug containment, drug delivery and diagnostic solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life sciences industries. The Group delivers an integrated, end-to-end portfolio of products, processes and services that address customer needs across the entire drug life cycle at each of the development, clinical and commercial stages. Stevanato Group’s core capabilities in scientific research and development, its commitment to technical innovation and its engineering excellence are central to its ability to offer value added solutions to clients. To learn more, visit: www.stevanatogroup.com

BNL BNP Paribas

With more one hundred years, is one of the main Italian banking group and the one of the well-known brand in Italy, where it operates all over the Country. The Bank offers a wide range of solutions, products, and services, from the traditional ones to the most innovative, to serve the needs of the customers (individuals, families, companies, entities and institutions). BNL is part of BNP Paribas, international Group in 65 countries, with close to 190,000 employees, including nearly 148,000 in Europe. The Group supports all its customers - individuals, associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs and institutions – in the success of their projects through its financing, investment, savings and protection solutions. BNP Paribas holds key positions in its three operating divisions: “Commercial, Personal Banking & Services”, “Investment & Protection Services; “Corporate & Institutional Banking”. BNL and BNP Paribas are very engaged in economic, social and environmental sustainability: a “#Positive Banking” strategy with the ambition of generating, through the business, a positive impact on the customers, employees and the community, for a more sustainable future.

About CDP

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti is the National Promotional Institute which has been supporting the Italian economy since 1850. The main goal of CDP is to accelerate the industrial and infrastructural development of Italy to boost its economic and social growth. CDP focuses its activities on sustainable development at local level, supporting the innovation and growth of Italian enterprises, also in the international arena. It partners local authorities, in a financing and advisory capacity, to create infrastructures and improve services of public value. CDP also participates actively in international cooperation initiatives to realize projects in developing countries and emerging markets. Cassa Depositi e Prestiti is entirely financed by private capital, through the issuing of Postal Savings Bonds and Postal Savings Passbooks, and through issues on national and international financial markets.