VMA, part of the multidisciplinary CFE Group, announces a partnership with the Japanese multinational DAIKIN. VMA will equip the new DAIKIN innovation centre in Ghent, worth €140m, with 22 test chambers for the development of heat pumps and refrigeration systems.
VMA will equip the test chambers with technology that can expose heat pumps and refrigeration systems to extreme weather conditions. The tests will be automatically controlled using VMA's vmanager software, which is typically used for the intelligent control of large buildings but has its first industrial application here.
The software will then also capture and process a large amount of data from the tests to optimise the performance of the heat pumps and cooling systems.
A special asset of this project is Daikin's collaboration with Ghent University (UGent), which provides expertise and the centre will also provide a place where students can participate in the development of energy-sustainable technology.
Guy Wynendaele, CEO of VMA: "VMA is fully committed to the energy and climate transition. We make buildings intelligent and sustainable, automate production lines for batteries, electric cars and the process industry. This project combines several of our expertise in a market that will grow strongly in the coming years."
Image provided by Backstage Communication.
