Brussels, 4 April 2023 – Today, Daikin Europe N.V. kicked off the construction of its new factory for residential heat pump units in Łódź, its first production site in Poland. Market leader Daikin’s 300 million euro investment will create 3,000 new jobs by 2030, and is the biggest foreign investment in Poland in recent years. Scheduled for completion in April 2024, the new factory will start operations in July 2024.
Groundbreaking ceremony with high-ranking officials
The groundbreaking ceremony took place today at Daikin’s new 320,000 m2 site in Ksawerów near the city of Łódź in central Poland. Senior Daikin Europe executives hosted a traditional Japanese groundbreaking ceremony with high-ranking Polish government leaders and the Japanese Ambassador to Poland in attendance.
The significant 300 million euro investment by establishing the new production site is set to further strengthen Daikin’s heat pump business in the rapidly growing European market.
The choice to build this new factory in Poland will allow Daikin to tap into the largest skilled talent pool in Eastern Europe and support direct job creation. The selected location has many logistical advantages in terms of access to markets and a stable supply chain.
300 million euro investment fits local proximity strategy
“Daikin Europe is celebrating a momentous milestone this year: our 50th anniversary in Europe. We have been operating across Europe since starting production in 1973 at our first European factory in Ostend, Belgium. Based on our 'Proximity Strategy', we are locally rooted and manufacture our products close to the market. With our 300 million euro investment here in Poland, we foresee 3,000 jobs by 2030 and developing collaborations with local suppliers in Poland for many years to come,” said Masatsugu Minaka, Chairman of the Board of Daikin Europe N.V. and Senior Executive Officer, Daikin Industries, Ltd.
Biggest foreign investment in Poland in recent years
“In early July last year we announced Daikin’s new investment in Ksawerów near Łódź jointly with Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki and top executives of Daikin. I am glad we are proceeding today with the implementation of this highly significant project for Poland and the Lódź region. Daikin’s new production site is the biggest foreign investment in Poland in recent years and the biggest ever for Łódź Special Economic Zone,” underlines Waldemar Buda, Minister of Development and Technology of the Republic of Poland. “Our convenient geographical location, market size, skilled talent pool, number of universities and incentives offered to investors are among our key assets. The Polish economy has been demonstrating its strength and viability, and Daikin’s new factory is a great confirmation of that,” adds Buda.
Increased demand for energy-efficient heat pumps
As one of Europe’s fastest growing companies, market leader Daikin is ramping up production of energy-efficient heat pumps to meet the increased demand as part of Europe’s clean energy transition. By 2025, at least 3.5 million heat pumps are expected to be installed each year across Europe, representing an annual growth rate of more than 30%.
This new factory fits into Daikin’s proximity strategy, meaning that all products sold in Europe are also developed and made in Europe to meet local needs. This production site will manufacture the largest number of residential Daikin heat pumps in Europe, together with its existing European factories in Belgium, the Czech Republic and Germany.
The groundbreaking ceremony
As a responsible, fast-growing market leader, we put the needs of our communities, employees, customers and partners first.
The 'ground-breaking ceremony' ('tokoshizume no matsuri' in Japanese) is performed before construction. This religious ceremony of Japanese origin is to calm and worship gods of the land, ask for the permission for work and pray for the safety of personnel and building during construction.
Copyrights pictures: Daikin Europe
About Daikin
Daikin Europe N.V.
Daikin Europe is a subsidiary of Daikin Industries Ltd. and the leading provider of heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and refrigeration solutions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The company designs, manufactures and brings to market a broad portfolio of equipment, as well as tailor-made solutions for residential, commercial and industrial purposes. To date Daikin Europe has over 12,000 employees working at more than 59 consolidated subsidiaries. It has 12 major manufacturing facilities based in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Austria and the UK. The headquarters of the Daikin Europe group are in Belgium, Ostend. The company was established in 1972, production in Europe started in 1973.
About Daikin Industries Ltd.
Based in Osaka, Japan, Daikin Industries employs over 89,000 people worldwide. The global company is market leader for heat pump and air conditioning systems, as well as air filtration. It is the only air conditioning manufacturer in the world that researches, develops and produces all important system components, such as refrigerants, compressors and electronics, in-house. The company achieved € 23.7 billion sales turnover in financial year 2021 (1 April 21 – 31 March 22).
Media Contacts Daikin Europe N.V.
Sofie Sap – T.: +32 472 580 482 Mail: sap.s@daikineurope.com
Daisuke Kakinaga – T.: +32 465 462 321 Mail: kakinaga.d@bxl.daikineurope.com
