Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Van Peteghem visits Daikin’s R&D centre

We were honoured to welcome Vincent Van Peteghem to our EMEA R&D centre on February 9, 2026. Currently Van Peteghem serves as Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget and Administrative Simplification.

Located at the Tech Lane Ghent Science Park in Zwijnaarde (Ghent), our new R&D centre puts Daikin at the heart of a vibrant ecosystem with two Ghent University campuses, various corporate R&D centres, public research institutes, and high-tech growth companies, making it a prime location for fostering innovation.

Spearheading sustainable heating and cooling

Together, we spoke about how Daikin is investing to accelerate the clean energy transition and we also touched on the importance of creating a level playing field for heat pump technologies.

“For 50 years, Daikin has been a crucial anchor for R&D and industry in Belgium. The success of innovation hubs such as this one in Ghent forms the very foundation of our economic growth,” said Vincent van Peteghem. “By committing to an efficient government, we create the space for the kind of groundbreaking research that establishes our region as a global leader in high-tech innovation.”

Daikin’s 140-million-euro investment in this top R&D site sized at 30,600 m² doubles our testing capacity in Europe with laboratories, 23 state-of-the-art test rooms, as well as facilities that foster a culture of co-creation and partnership.

The new centre showcases the next generation of heat pump technologies and provides the capability to develop, test, and demonstrate integrated products, electronics and controls systems in real-life environments, that enhance the energy efficiency of products throughout their lifespan.

Tour through the future of climate technology

• Van Peteghem participated in a tour of our specialised laboratory zones, where our R&D engineers explained all the steps to bring reliable and sustainable HVAC-R products and solutions to the market.
• Simulation box test area: Up to 100 automated virtual test scenarios without physical units, significantly accelerating software validation and reducing development time.
• Performance test lab: 23 climatic chambers simulate extreme environments from -30°C to +60°C, with precisely controlled humidity levels
• Parts reliability lab: Multi-zone setups for mechanical, environmental and corrosion testing to reduce CO₂ emissions, compared to conventional materials
• EMC lab: Three separate test zones ensure full electromagnetic compatibility for Daikin products
• Sound testing rooms: Cutting-edge acoustic design measures background noise levels as low as 10 dBA to validate ultra-silent systems for residential and healthcare environments

Global heat pump R&D hub

Daikin’s R&D centre in Ghent serves as the company’s global hub for heat pump innovation. Heat pump technology plays a central role in decarbonising modern living, as it uses renewable energy from the environment rather than relying on fossil fuels. By enabling highly efficient heating, cooling and cold‑chain solutions, heat pumps significantly reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. The work carried out in Ghent accelerates the development of these technologies, helping to drive the transition towards low‑carbon buildings and more sustainable everyday life.

Over 350 bright minds are researching and developing low-carbon heating, cooling, refrigeration and ventilation technologies, including smart controls to assure the developments can function seamlessly in any building ecosystem at the highest energy efficiency. They work in an innovative work environment that enables the teams to generate and re-iterate ideas, and to test new developments extensively and at faster throughput times than before.

“The Deputy Prime Minister’s visit highlights the vital role that R&D plays in securing our industrial future. We are proud to be at the forefront of the innovation that will define the next decade,” said Wim De Schacht, Vice President Service & Solutions and Corporate Affairs at Daikin Europe. “We’re strengthening our cooperation with external academic and governmental institutions, to address global environmental challenges and expand our business.”

Worth mentioning, less than 1 kilometre from our R&D centre, the Deputy Prime Minister attended Don Bosco college high school in Zwijnaarde many years ago. Currently, Van Peteghem also holds the mayor title of the nearby town of Nazareth - De Pinte, where a significant number of our employees reside.

With such strong ties to his roots, his participation in this company visit was most fitting and we look forward to welcoming him again in the future for our next milestones. A big thank you to our teams for their tireless work on the innovations of tomorrow!