Daikin news EHPA Presidency Daikin Patrick Crombez
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Brussels, April 2024 – Daikin Europe is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Crombez, General Manager Heating and Renewables EMEA at Daikin Europe, as President of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).
New Board of Directors and President at the EHPA
The EHPA serves as the umbrella organisation for the European heat pump industry, promoting awareness and deployment of heat pump technology across Europe. Yesterday the EHPA’s members voted in a new board of directors, which then elected Patrick Crombez, General Manager Heating and Renewables at Daikin Europe, as its president. He takes over from Martin Forsén from NIBE. The new board and president have a two year mandate.
Patrick Crombez, General Manager Heating and Renewables EMEA at Daikin Europe, President of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA)
Patrick Crombez has been with Daikin Europe for over 30 years and has been leading its heat pump heating business since 2007. Commenting on the appointment, Patrick Crombez said: “I’m honoured to succeed Martin Forsén as president of the European Heat Pump Association. Nearly 25 years ago, research institutes, manufacturers, universities, testing labs and energy agencies united around a shared goal to increase the adoption of low-carbon heat pump technologies. Their importance has only grown since the EHPA was established: as a central part of a renewable, sustainable and smart energy system, heat pumps are the number one heating and cooling choice for residential and professional use.
If Europe’s industrialisation is a priority for this and the next EU commission, stability and consistency in regulations are basic requirements. Decarbonisation of heating is and can remain based in Europe. All industry associations agree on that point. Together, we’re repeating our call for an EU Heat Pump Action plan without delay. Together, we are advocating for more energy independency and clean heat.”
Promoting heat pump technology for the decarbonisation of heating
Heat pumps make use of the renewable energy that is available in the air to heat spaces and hot water. They are extremely energy efficient and have a much lower carbon footprint that fossil fuel heating systems. Heat pumps and a level playing field for electricity pricing versus the cost of fossil fuels, are indispensable elements in any plan to cut carbon emissions for heating and cooling buildings. Together with EHPA members, Daikin, a leader in the heat pump industry in Europe, is taking action to increase the adoption of low-carbon heat pump technologies across Europe.
Daikin has announced several investments to support the development of heat pump heating solutions in Europe. The Japanese multinational has installed its global heat pump heating R&D in Belgium and will open its new EMEA Development Center in Ghent later this year. The company is also constructing a new residential heat pump heating factory in Lodz, Poland to boost its European production capacity in view of the expected increase in demand for the low carbon technology. Though the market has been going through a slow-down in 2023, the company is convinced the market will eventually pick up to realise the much needed transition to low carbon heating.
Composition of the new Board at EHPA
The 15 members of the new board of directors (with members of the executive board in bold) are:
- Johannes Brugmann – Bosch Home Comfort
- Patrick Crombez – DAIKIN Europe NV – president
- Thomas Fleckl – Austrian Institute of Technology
- Hauke Hagen – Stiebel Eltron GmbH
- Dina Koepke – Copeland Europe GmbH – treasurer
- Valérie Laplagne – AFPAC (French heat pump association)
- Laure Meljac – NIBE
- Marek Miara – Franhofer Institute for Solar Energy System ISE
- Thomas Nowak – Qvantum Industries
- Barbara Priesching – Vaillant Group
- Rowena Rodrigues – Glen Dimplex – vice-president
- Marta San Roman – AFEC (Spanish association of HVAC equipment)
- Malgorzata Smuczynska – Polish Organisation of Heat Pump Technology Development
- Enrique Vilamitjana – Panasonic Appliance Air Conditioning Europe
- Andrea Voigt – Danfoss Climate Solutions – vice-president
Learn more about the EHPA: https://www.ehpa.org/
About
Patrick Crombez, President European Heat Pump Association, General Manager Heating and Renewables EMEA at Daikin Europe
Patrick Crombez holds a degree in engineering in Nuclear Sciences from IHR Mol Belgium and an MBA from EHSAL Brussels. He started his career at Daikin Europe in 1991, completing international assignments in France, Russia, the United Kingdom and in the Middle East and Africa region. Crombez returned to the Brussels head office in 2007 to head product strategy and marketing right at the start of Daikin’s entry into the heating market and the creation of Daikin’s EMEA Development Center in Belgium. Since 2016, Crombez has been serving as General Manager and Head of the EMEA heating and renewables business for the Daikin Europe group.
100 years Daikin
The story of Daikin has always been shaped by groundbreaking ideas, technological innovations, and dedicated people. It began in 1924 when the young Japanese engineer Akira Yamada founded an enterprise in Osaka to manufacture aircraft radiators with a 15-member team. Today, 100 years later, the Daikin Industries Ltd. group brings future-proof solutions for heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification, and refrigeration to global markets. More than 96,000 employees in 173 countries continue the company's legacy of leading technologies to advance low carbon heating and cooling, while ensuring the highest level of comfort. In fiscal year 2022 (1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023) the Daikin group achieved € 28.2 billion sales turnover worldwide.
Daikin Europe N.V.
Daikin Europe is a subsidiary of the global group Daikin Industries, and the leading provider of heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and refrigeration (HVAC&R) technology in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Daikin designs, manufactures, and brings to market a broad portfolio of products, maintenance services as well as turnkey solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes. To date Daikin Europe has over 13,700 employees across more than 57 consolidated subsidiaries. It has 14 manufacturing facilities based in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The headquarters of the Daikin Europe group are in Ostend, Belgium. The company was established in 1972, production in Europe started in 1973.
Daikin Airconditioning Central Europe
Daikin Airconditioning Central Europe was founded in 1999 with headquarters in Vienna, Austria, as a subsidiary of Daikin Europe N.V. The company's portfolio comprises products and solutions for heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and refrigeration. More than 700 employees and 2,500 partners are responsible for sales and service activities in 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe (Austria, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia). With Your Daikin World at the Vienna headquarters, the HVAC-R industry and the construction sector have access to a modern experience center for co-creating tailor-made solutions for hotels, retail, offices, and large commercial applications. It also includes one out of nine training centers in the region of Daikin Central Europe.
Read more on www.daikin-ce.com
Media Contacts Daikin Europe N.V.
Sofie Sap – T.: +32 472 580482 Mail: sap.s@daikineurope.com
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