Panasonic reaffirms long-term investment in Europe at Chillventa 2026

Panasonic advances Europe’s heating and cooling transition with lower GWP solutions, smarter energy management and technologies for year-round indoor comfort.

Panasonic Heating & Cooling reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Europe at its Chillventa 2026 press conference, “Engineering Sustainable Comfort for Europe”. The company outlined how continued investment in local manufacturing, research and development, and installer support is strengthening its ability to meet European building and energy needs.

Toshikatsu Fukunaga, CEO of the Hydronic Solutions & Data Centre Business Division; Enrique Vilamitjana, Managing Director of Panasonic Heating & Cooling Europe; and José Alves, Regional Director for Germany, Switzerland and Austria, presented Panasonic’s European strategy and latest product developments. Together, they demonstrated how the company’s global investment priorities are supporting Europe’s transition away from fossil-fuel heating and towards refrigerants with lower global warming potential (GWP).

A European commitment backed by local investment

Europe remains central to Panasonic’s global heat pump business. Its regional network comprises more than 25 sales offices, more than 40 training centres and four production sites, bringing engineering, manufacturing and technical support closer to customers and installers.

Since 2022, Panasonic has strengthened its European operations through a series of strategic commitments, including investment in its air-to-water heat pump growth programme, acquisitions and additional production capacity in the Czech Republic. These commitments are complemented by an equity alliance with Innova, the value of which has not been disclosed.

“We are sustaining the pace of our R&D investment, and our new product plans remain on track. Europe remains a long-term priority for us,” said Toshikatsu Fukunaga.

Panasonic’s production footprint includes air-to-water heat pumps in Plzeň, Czech Republic, chillers and commercial heat pumps in Tillières, France, large chillers and data centre units in Barlassina, Italy, and refrigeration equipment in Wrocław, Poland. This local presence helps Panasonic translate the requirements of European customers into product development, technical support and services.

Lower GWP solutions for European buildings

Enrique Vilamitjana outlined Panasonic’s response to the pressures shaping the European heating and cooling industry, including energy price volatility, decarbonisation, rising cooling demand and the refrigerant transition. He emphasised that Panasonic is ready for the 2027 restrictions under the EU F-gas Regulation, with an expanding portfolio of lower GWP technologies. Combined with efficient electrification and connected control systems, these solutions support more effective energy use while helping customers prepare for evolving regulatory requirements.

José Alves presented the new Aquarea M Series models, extending Panasonic’s R290 hydronic offering into capacities from 3 to 9 kW. Designed for residential applications, the range supports heating operation at outdoor temperatures down to −28°C. A new 185-litre All in One indoor unit measures 1,427 mm in height, 215 mm lower than the previous design, to ease transport and installation.

The European-manufactured Aquarea N Series provides a refrigerant split alternative using R454C. With capacities from 3 to 9 kW, heating operation down to −25°C and Wi-Fi as standard, it combines a compact outdoor unit with installation flexibility. Refrigerant piping lengths of up to 40 metres and height differences of up to 30 metres allow installers to adapt the system to different building layouts.

For larger applications, the ECOi-W AQUA-G EVO R290 inverter chiller strengthens Panasonic’s commercial hydronic portfolio. Its inverter-driven compressor and pump support performance optimisation, while cascade operation of up to eight units provides flexibility for larger projects. The range complements Panasonic’s residential heat pumps and fan coils to support heating and cooling across different building types.

Connected control and indoor air quality

Panasonic also presented its Commercial Edge Solution, a platform for on-site and remote management of Aquarea, ECOi-W, ECOi EX, PACi NX and residential air-conditioning systems. Designed for professionals, it supports simplified commissioning, remote configuration and service operations, with data stored locally in the Edge box. Optional P-Smart Nexus connectivity enables management across multiple sites.

For residential users, Panasonic highlighted Aquarea integration with tado° Heat Pump Optimizer X and tado° Balance, combining heat pump control with automatic price optimisation.

Panasonic also presented its latest research into nanoe™ X technology and European pollen, supported by scientific insights from Dr Lorenzo Cecchi, a leading European allergy and clinical immunology specialist with expertise in pollen allergy, during the second part of the press conference.

Panasonic concluded by emphasising the importance of predictable markets, investment in electricity grids and balanced energy prices in supporting wider heat pump adoption. Its continued investment in Europe and expanding portfolio reflect a long-term commitment to helping customers transition to more efficient, lower-carbon heating and cooling.

For more information on Panasonic’s heating and cooling solutions, visit www.aircon.panasonic.eu