Daikin Europe N.V. announce it has won the Foreign Investment of the Year Trophy, awarded by Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT). This award is a recognition of the important commitment of Daikin Europe towards Flanders and Europe, highlighted by its 140 million euro investment in a global heat pump research and development centre in Ghent, Belgium.
Daikin Europe wins the Foreign Investment of the Year Trophy 2022 for its new research centre EMEA Development Center (EDC) in Ghent, a new state of the art research facility that will become one of the crown jewels of Daikin’s global R&D network.
The research centre will be home to the company’s global research and development for heat pump and sustainable cold chain technologies, a key element for the transition of Europe towards a climate neutral continent.
The investment in EDC is part of Daikin’s Fusion 2025 plan to become a leading company in sustainable heating and cooling solutions.
Daikin has a long history of investments in Flanders. In 1973, the Japanese company set up its first European production site in the city of Ostend. Today, this site is the company’s headquarters for all its activities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and one of the company’s main manufacturing and R&D hubs for the European market, employing more than 2,000 people. “Our group policy has always been to produce locally and strive towards a short value chain, which is somewhat atypical in our industry,” says Wim De Schacht, Vice President of Daikin Europe. “This award recognizes this endeavour, and we are honoured to receive it.”
Daikin Industries Limited, mother company of Daikin Europe N.V., is pursuing a global environmental vision to be carbon neutral by 2050. The new EMEA Development Center is part of the company’s plan to become the global reference company for heat pump technologies. Daikin Europe was already the frontrunner in the group for this, and will now formally take on the global development role.
The EMEA Development Center will be constructed in the Technology Park in Ghent, Belgium and should be operational by 2024. The new building will bring all of Daikin’s R&D people in Belgium together on one site, where they will be able to work closely with Ghent University. “It is our aim to create an exciting and inspiring work environment, with openness to co-create. Our heating innovations are the result of research into heat pump technology combined with Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence,” says Laurent Van Thournout, Deputy General Manager of the EMEA Development Center, “and this combination provides opportunities to develop new business models. This is why one floor in our building will be devoted to start-ups and spin-offs, who can benefit from the concentration of knowhow and expertise it will generate.”
The EMEA Development Center is part of a larger investment plan within the framework of Daikin‘s Fusion 2025 plan. Between 2021 and 2025, the company will be investing no less than 840 million euro across the EMEA region.
The European heating market is challenged to move to fossil-free heating solutions under the EU Green Deal. “We strongly believe that heat pump technology will be key to make the European continent climate neutral by 2050. Through our investments we are reinforcing our leading position in the market, enabling us to contribute to the transition to sustainable and fossil-free heating and cooling solutions,” concludes Wim De Schacht.
“Our new Research & Development centre in Ghent will inspire and bring people together to develop innovations for a healthier and more sustainable future. I want to thank Flanders Investment & Trade for their recognition of our hard work,” - Masatsugu Minaka, Chairman of Daikin Europe N.V.
