Daikin’s Polish heat pump factory investment recognised by Financial Times’ fDi Intelligence
Brussels, 19 March 2026 – Daikin has received the “Investment Impact Award” for its EUR 300 million investment in its residential heat pump production site in Poland. The award, presented by fDi Intelligence, a division of The Financial Times, recognises Europe’s most impactful foreign direct investment projects. The investment reinforces Europe’s role as a manufacturing hub in line with the EU-aligned industrial policy. Strategic clean-heating technologies are produced in Europe, reducing import dependence and transport intensity, strengthening supply security, and supporting the EU’s decarbonisation objectives by lowering household emissions. The award ceremony took place on 10 March 2026 in Cannes (France).
Inaugural awards by Financial Times fDi division
fDi Intelligence is a division of The Financial Times Ltd, specialising in foreign direct investment (FDI) analysis and data on cross-border expansion and investment trends.
The inaugural “fDi Intelligence Investment Impact Awards” recognise investment projects that deliver transformative impact at both local and national level across Europe. Selected from 106 submissions, the awards honour locations and organisations whose initiatives generate meaningful impact, including innovation, high-quality job creation, sustainability, community benefit, and alignment with national investment strategies.
Daikin Manufacturing Poland named winner of the “Operational mid-sized projects” category
Daikin was recognized in the “Operational mid-sized projects” category, which covers investments between USD 50–500 million, for its EUR 300 million investment in its 320,000 m2 factory in Ksawerów, located in central Poland’s Łódź region.
“Daikin deliberately chose Poland as the location for its largest heat pump manufacturing site. Situated in the heart of central Poland, the site benefits from strong logistics, direct access to EU markets and well-established supplier bases. This enables shorter supply chains and resilient, market-oriented manufacturing. We are proud that our commitment to ‘Made in Europe’, through a new residential heat pump production site in Poland, has been recognised with the fDi Investment Impact Award from the Financial Times.” Yasuto Hiraoka, Managing Director, Daikin Manufacturing Poland.
Daikin’s proximity strategy aligned with EU industrial policy
Daikin’s factory is the biggest foreign investment in recent years in the Łódź region, underscoring the company’s long-term commitment to Europe as an industrial location. It forms a cornerstone of Daikin’s long-standing proximity strategy, under which the company designs and manufactures heating, cooling, ventilation and refrigeration (HVAC-R) solutions close to the European market. As of 2026, Daikin operates 12 HVAC-R manufacturing sites across Europe, complemented by its European R&D centre for heat-pump and refrigeration technology in Ghent, Belgium. The proximity-based manufacturing and R&D approach aligns with EU industrial policy by localising strategic clean-heating technologies, strengthening supply security and reducing dependence on extra-EU imports and long-distance transport.
Accelerating Europe’s transition to efficient heating solutions
As a landmark clean-technology investment, Daikin’s new heat pump manufacturing plant in Poland supports Europe’s transition towards efficient, low-carbon heating. The high-efficiency heat pumps produced at the site enable households to replace oil- and gas-based boilers, contributing directly to EU decarbonisation targets and lower residential emissions. The additional production capacity strengthens Daikin’s ability to meet growing demand for residential heat pumps across the EU and to support exports throughout the European market, reinforcing the company’s role as a key contributor to Europe’s energy transition.
The facility also sets a benchmark for high environmental and technological standards in industrial construction. As production scales up, the development of local supply chains is expected to create additional circular-economy opportunities, including component refurbishment and repair channels that are characteristic of HVAC-R systems
More information:
fDi’s Investment Impact Awards | Operational projects winners 2026
About Investment Impact Awards 2026
Recent Green Building award win for Daikin’s Poland factory
Daikin Factsheet 2026: Made in Europe, Daikin manufacturing sites
About Daikin Europe N.V.
The Daikin Europe Group is a leading provider of heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and refrigeration (HVAC-R) technology in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Daikin Europe caters to a diverse customer base within this region by designing, manufacturing, and marketing an extensive range of products, maintenance services, and turnkey solutions tailored for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. The company employs over 13,800 employees through 58 subsidiaries and operates 15 manufacturing sites in Europe (12), Turkey (1) and the Middle East (2). Daikin’s refrigeration products are available under the Daikin, Tewis, Zanotti, Hubbard, and AHT brands. Headquartered in Ostend, Belgium, for over 50 years, the Daikin Europe group is a subsidiary of the global group Daikin Industries.
About Daikin Industries Ltd.
Daikin Industries (DIL) is a global leader in heat pump, air conditioning and air filtration technology. The company employs over 100,000 employees worldwide. Founded in Osaka in 1924, it is the only manufacturer in the world that develops and manufactures heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, as well as compressors and refrigerants in-house. Daikin was named one of the world’s top 100 most innovative companies by Clarivate (UK) and LexisNexis (USA), recognized for its leadership in technology research and intellectual property patents. For its fiscal year 2024 Daikin reported a record sales result of € 28,98 billion sales (1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025).
Read more on www.daikin.eu and www.daikin.com.
