Panasonic Heating & Cooling Solutions held a press conference at Mostra Convegno Expocomfort 2026 in Milan on 25 March, presenting its HVAC&R strategy for Europe and introducing new products across refrigeration, air-to-water heat pumps, and commercial systems at Hall 5, Stand A29/C12.
The event featured three speakers: Toshikatsu Fukunaga, Director of Air-to-Water & Hydro Solutions Business Division; Enrique Vilamitjana, Managing Director of Panasonic HVAC Europe; and Alfredo Meazza, Country Manager of Panasonic HVAC Italy. Presentations covered the company's European market direction, product launches, and manufacturing investments.
Vilamitjana outlined Panasonic's repositioning from an Asia-based manufacturer toward a European production and solutions player, referencing the 2023 acquisition of Systemair's hydronic businesses, investments in controls companies Innova and Tado, and a €350 million commitment to rebuilding the Czech Republic factory. He also announced a new split-type air-to-water line called F-Type, based on R454C refrigerant, planned for launch in 2027, with current R32-based equivalent production moving from Malaysia to the Czech plant. Fukunaga introduced the AQUA-G EVO, a new R290 air-to-water unit in the 20–30 kW range targeting light commercial and multi-family applications.
On the refrigeration side, Panasonic presented two ranges. The iCO2RE line uses R744 (CO2, GWP 1) for medium and low temperature commercial applications, with capacity up to 29 kW for medium temperature and up to 15 kW for low temperature. It uses a decentralised architecture with double-stage BLDC inverter compressor technology and targets retail, HoReCa, food service, and cold storage. The iCOOL SE A2L-ready Series covers HFC and HFO applications, with inverter technology and the ability to retrofit to A2L refrigerants as F-Gas regulations tighten. Capacity reaches up to 42 kW for medium temperature and up to 14 kW for low temperature.
Both refrigeration ranges are integrated into a broader ecosystem covering comfort heating and cooling, domestic hot water, ventilation, and smart control. Data centre applications are addressed through a Coolant Distribution Unit and free-cooling chillers for hyperscale environments.
Meazza presented Panasonic's Italian performance, noting results more than doubled over ten years, and introduced the Panasonic Lab — a 300 sq m training and exhibition facility opened in September 2025 in Italy.
"Our portfolio reflects Panasonic's long-standing commitment to sustainable innovation and reliability," said Vilamitjana. "With our latest technologies, we continue to simplify installation, improve indoor air quality and support Europe's move towards decarbonisation."