New European Development Center (EDC) launched in Ostend Headquarters
(18/10/2011)
Daikin Europe N.V. launches an extensive European Development Center (EDC) at its headquarters in Ostend.
PRESS RELEASE
Ostend, 18 October 2011
Daikin launches European Development Center in Ostend
development center the first of its kind in Europe
Daikin Europe N.V., launches an extensive European Development Center (EDC) at its headquarters in Ostend. Daikin Industries Ltd., the Japanese parent company and leader in the field of solutions for climate control, chose Ostend for its available expertise and knowhow. Since 1973, Daikin Europe N.V. (DENV) has been the sole production entity of its kind in Europe. Soon to have its own development center, the organisation is taking a significant new step towards further expansion. The EDC will play an important role, among others, in the development of innovative, energy-efficient alternatives for conventional heating solutions.
Successes Ostend rewarded
The European market is complex and heterogeneous. Which is why Daikin Industries Ltd. established DENV in Ostend back in 1973. Over the years, the company has built up expertise in the quick and effective adjustments and adaptations of Japanese technology to the needs of the 27 different European markets and local needs. The Daikin Altherma is a recent example. It’s an 'air-water' heat pump which extracts energy from the outside air for use in home heating. Shinichi Nakaishi, General Manager, EDC: “Based on its experience, DENV is an important knowledge platform. The team has elaborated several successful local products and solutions over the years. In deciding the location of the new European Development Center, the parent company in Japan couldn’t neglect these assets. Daikin Industries Ltd. has a lot of faith in the employees and their capabilities. They really deserve this. "
Products from Europe, for Europe
The EDC will evolve in the future into an important European R&D center, based in Ostend and with satellites in the Czech Republic and Germany. The EDC will be given a high degree of autonomy to develop its own innovative designs and solutions specifically for the European market. “We were until now actually the only company in the air conditioning market with our own local production entity. Over the years, we have been increasingly responsive to the diverse needs of the European market. This has given us a significant competitive advantage. We see the EDC in line with this. It will enable us to develop products in the same environment
where we produce and sell, and this also increasingly in the heating market. Products from Europe, for Europe”, says Frans Hoorelbeke, Chairman and Member of the Board of Directors, DENV. In addition to Ostend, Daikin Industries Ltd. is also opening similar centers in China and the United States.
Investment in staff and technology
The first phase of the development of the EDC is associated with an investment of around the 13 million euros, mainly for technology and infrastructure. The company started immediately with the construction of several new high-tech testing rooms. In one of these test chambers, the engineers of DENV can simulate all of the climatic conditions which may occur in one of the 27 European countries.
DENV expects to compile a European team of up to 200 specialists by the year 2015. This means that DENV will be searching for diverse profiles ranging from young talent (Bachelors and Masters) to experienced researchers, engineers and related development profiles to join the existing team in Ostend.
DENV is already putting intensive training programmes in place for new EDC employees. Bart Teerlynck, Deputy General Manager, EDC: "The market for climate solutions is at a turning point. We already have a great deal of know-how in house and can count on our Japanese colleagues, among whom are some of the most specialised researchers in the world. We aim to take full advantage of this. We have therefore already designed a training
programme to educate our employees in several different fields. Several of them have the opportunity to go to Japan for a while "
Developing the heat pump as a genuine alternative
An important role of the EDC will be to respond to the increasing demand for energy-friendly solutions within the traditional heating market. Fossil fuels are scarce and there is a global commitment to reduce CO2 emissions. With its heat pump, Daikin is equipped with an innovative technology which offers an environment-conscious and energy-efficient alternative for traditional heating solutions. The share of the heat pump within the heating market in strongly increasing. In this respect, the EDC can play an important innovative role.
About Daikin
Based in Ostend, Belgium, Daikin Europe N.V. is the European headquarters for sales, research, production and development of Daikin Industries Ltd. From its office in Ostend, the company services the European market as
well as parts of Africa and the Middle East. As the company’s EMEA (Europe/Middle East/Africa) headquarters, Daikin Europe N.V. is responsible for one quarter of the Daikin Group’s consolidated turnover.
In 2010 the company generated a turnover of €1.8 billion. In the EMEA region, Daikin Europe N.V. employs 5.444 people. Covering 150 000 m2, the factory in Ostend is one of the most advanced on its kind.
Energy efficiency is more and more becoming a top priority for Daikin Europe N.V. This can be seen through the increase in local development of residential, commercial and industrial applications with a higher energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. For example, Daikin is working on a pilot project in Germany around net zero energy building, a form of construction which will be compulsory within the European Union from 2019.
Voor bijkomende informatie:
Daikin Europe N.V.
Sofie Smets
059 55 81 47
