During the year 2022, the cold sector must continue to evolve along three main axes: sustainability, digitization and the full integration of women into the workforce. These lines of work are aligned with the objectives set out in the Great European Green Pact and in the UN Sustainable Development Goals which, in turn, have been made its own by the Spanish Government. For AEFYT, the Association of Cold Companies and their Technologies, the cold sector is in a unique moment to be an important actor in the change of economic paradigm that society demands.
"The year 2022 is very important in terms of economic and environmental sustainability. The cold sector is making a very serious reflection consistent to address a future in which it must be a main actor to contribute to the decarbonization and digitization of the production system in in line with the major European and Spanish objectives. An important step will be the MdI Refrigenia 4.0, which we hope can begin to be carried out this year and that it will have a positive impact for everyone ", said Susana Rodríguez, President of AEFYT.
The main lines of action that are being worked on from the cold value chain are defined below.
Sustainability: With an increase in the price of refrigerant gases between 30 and 60 percent and serious difficulties in finding the necessary materials in the execution and maintenance of facilities, cold companies are looking further to take advantage of this crisis and accelerate the migration process towards gases with lower GWP, as well as improving the control systems and optimizing the operation of the facilities. Likewise, it is necessary to make investment plans aimed at integrating solutions that minimize energy expenditure. The cold sector can contribute to the decarbonisation of the Spanish economy because it affects more than 40% of the production system.
Digitization: The unique opportunity of European recovery funds (Next.Generation) is reflected in the Expression of Interest presented by AEFYT in collaboration with other organizations called Refrigenia 4.0, which aims to support digitization and energy efficiency (both concepts they are often joined together) in cold storage facilities in the dairy, meat, perishable, wine and oil subsectors. The cold sector is a fundamental partner to promote the modernization of one of the most important industries in Spain, such as food. At the same time, private investment does not stop and is reflected in initiatives such as the promotion of Artificial Intelligence in training and maintenance tasks.
Integration of women in the workforce: Through training and social recognition, during 2022 AEFYT will continue to give visibility to the work of women in all links of the cold value chain and in very different functions , both management and administrative and technical. The objective of this work is to attract talent to achieve gender balance in the refrigeration sector and ensure a generational renewal characterized by mixed teams that encompass different competencies and skills.
