The Italian industrial landscape is rich in little-known stories that nevertheless showcase Italian ingenuity and technical expertise. One such story is that of IREM, a Piedmont-based company, now a world leader in designing and manufacturing solutions for electricity control and generation, which interprets the Made in Italy concept as a synthesis of technical expertise, quality and an international outlook.
But to understand the significance of this organisation, we need to start with its origins, which, curiously, are intertwined with the world of cinema.
Mario Celso’s passion: where electronics meets cinema
Mario Celso, inventor and pioneering entrepreneur, born in 1917, was born in Sant’Antonino di Susa (Turin) into a family of factory workers. Passionate about electronics, in the 1940s he designed and patented an electromechanical rectifier for cinema projectors. This device served to stabilise the current and improve the image quality of the films being screened. Thanks to this patent, in 1947 Celso founded IREM (Industria REgolatori Magnetici), which developed a range of products for powering and igniting gas-discharge lamps.
From voltage stabilisers to energy management
IREM’s capacity for innovation soon led the company to expand its product range to include voltage stabilisers. At a time when the electricity grid faced significant voltage fluctuations, these devices were an immediate success. Stabilising, protecting, and controlling the power supply helps ensure the operational continuity of infrastructure, industry, and professional applications where reliability is not a mere detail but an essential requirement.
This first milestone enabled the company to establish itself in the domestic market.
The shift towards renewable energy
From the 1950s onward, IREM embarked on a pioneering journey and began developing technologies to generate energy from renewable sources. In particular, it designed and built the first hydroelectric turbines – plants capable of harnessing the head and flow rate of watercourses to generate renewable energy.
This decision predated the environmental awareness that now drives the energy industry by decades. Hydropower thus became a cornerstone of IREM’s offering, alongside the quality of the electricity supply and professional lighting.
Expansion and diversification
In the 1970s and 1980s, IREM expanded and diversified its technological offerings. During this period, IREM developed the first electromechanical and electronic stabilisers, along with power supply systems for television and film studios, and formed the first partnerships that paved the way for international expansion.
It was also during these years that the foundations were laid for an integrated approach to energy quality control – a concept now regarded as fundamental, but which at the time represented a truly pioneering vision.
A contribution recognised even by the film industry
In 1992, in Los Angeles, Mario Celso received the Scientific and Technical Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his pioneering work in designing, developing, and manufacturing power supply equipment and carbon-arc and xenon igniters used in film projection, underscoring his unbroken connection to the world of cinema.
This award recognises the technological contribution that this Made in Italy company has made to the global film industry, starting with the first electromechanical rectifier designed in the 1940s. It demonstrates how Italian technical excellence can make its mark far beyond national borders and its sectors of origin.
IREM today: the value of Made in Italy around the world
From its origins in the film industry to its applications in the energy sector, hydropower and professional lighting, IREM has established itself as a leader in the design and manufacture of devices for the control and generation of electrical energy. IREM’s ‘Made in Italy’ label is not merely a geographical indication: it is an approach based on research, technical expertise and design quality.
Operating in international markets whilst maintaining strong ties with the local area means bringing Italy’s industrial heritage to the world – a heritage capable of evolving without losing its integrity. IREM’s history shows that the strongest innovation comes from combining experience, vision, and a constant focus on future needs.
Congratulations to those who invent, build and promote peace throughout the world!
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