AHEAD: The Flagship Project for Sustainable Pharmaceutical Production

On September 22^nd, 2025, the official commissioning of AHEAD (Advanced Heat Pump Demonstrator) took place at Takeda in Vienna:

• With AHEAD, Takeda is implementing an environmentally friendly solution for CO₂-free steam generation for industrial processes – unique in its kind.
• The project is carried out jointly by Takeda and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, demonstrating the importance of collaboration between industry and research institutions.
• AHEAD represents the first industrial application of this innovative high-temperature heat pump system using 100% natural refrigerants.

Vienna, Austria, 22 September 2025 – Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) is setting a new standard for sustainable pharmaceutical production with the official commissioning of AHEAD. The project, awarded the Net Zero Industries Award in Austria in 2023, presented at the UN Climate Conference COP28, and featured in the Austrian Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, was initiated in 2022 by Takeda together with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. It is supported under the research initiative "NEFI – New Energy for Industry" by the Climate and Energy Fund, funded from the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure.

The high-temperature heat pump deployed at Takeda’s Vienna site enables, for the first time, the complete generation of process steam without fossil fuels – a crucial step towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, in line with Takeda’s global commitment across its operations. The Vienna production site is one of Takeda’s largest worldwide, with around 2,500 employees producing over 20 different medicines for patients in Austria and more than 100 countries. With AHEAD, Takeda strengthens its environmental performance and demonstrates its innovation drive to achieve ambitious sustainability targets that set new industry benchmarks.

Project Progress

The project began with an extensive planning phase, building on the existing CO₂-free energy centre at the Vienna site on Langen Allee 24, now expanded by AHEAD. Construction preparatory works started in May 2024, followed by the main construction phase in summer 2024. In summer 2025, the high-temperature heat pump successfully began trial operation.

The plant is accompanied by 4,000 hours of scientific monitoring by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology to evaluate the performance and transferability of the technology to other sites and industries. A novel approach was developed to determine decarbonisation potential, combining process requirements, anticipated process changes, learning curves for high-temperature heat pumps based on demonstration experience, possible optimisations, and statistical data. This allows continuous optimisation of the plant’s operational strategy.

Technological Innovation

The core of AHEAD is the steam-generating heat pump from SPH Sustainable Process Heat GmbH, operating with 100% natural refrigerants. In combination with steam compressors, it can reach process temperatures above 200 °C – higher than the 184 °C at 11 bar(a) required for pharmaceutical production at Takeda. A key feature is the utilisation of existing refrigeration systems and their seasonally available waste heat. The system can produce CO₂-free steam for over seven months, with an annual potential saving of up to 1,600 tonnes of CO₂ – around an 80% reduction for the Vienna site at Langen Allee 24.

Sustainability as a Shared Responsibility

Thomas Wozniewski, Global Manufacturing & Supply Officer, states: “We are convinced that a healthy life requires a healthy planet. That is why we have set ambitious environmental targets for more sustainable pharmaceutical production, including net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain by 2040. To achieve these goals, we continuously evaluate and implement new technologies. Environmental protection is a shared responsibility, and AHEAD is an excellent example of how collaboration between industry and research institutions can lead to success and set trends beyond our own sector.”

Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Federal Minister for Economy, Energy and Tourism: “Austria needs an economic upswing to secure jobs, prosperity, and our social system. We can achieve this upswing only by focusing on our strengths: diligence, inventiveness, and international orientation. AHEAD demonstrates how innovation arises from these strengths, creating value and enhancing the international visibility of our location. My congratulations go to everyone who contributed to this flagship project.”

Volker Schaffler, Head of the Department for Energy and Environmental Technologies at the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Transport and Technology, representing Federal Minister Peter Hanke at the official commissioning of AHEAD: “The research project AHEAD, funded through national resources of the Climate and Energy Fund, marks an important milestone for the energy transition in industrial heat supply in Austria. This concept can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 80 percent, making a significant contribution to replacing fossil fuels such as natural gas in industrial processes. It opens new opportunities for key sectors such as paper, chemicals, petrochemicals, and food. AHEAD exemplifies the spirit of innovation and technological competence of Austrian manufacturing companies in cooperation with the domestic research landscape.”

Barbara Novak, City Councillor for Economic Affairs, representing Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig: “Vienna is proud to see such a forward-looking project as AHEAD realised. It makes a substantial contribution to achieving industrial climate targets and strengthens Vienna as a hotspot for sustainable high-tech innovations. It underlines Vienna’s role as an international leader in the life sciences sector and shows how we can create sustainable progress through courage, innovation, and partnership. Projects like AHEAD send a clear message: sustainability and economic strength are not opposites – they go hand in hand. This is the future we stand for in Vienna – innovative, responsible, and globally connected.”

Andreas Kugi, Scientific Director at AIT: “Heat pumps will be a central element of the future energy infrastructure – including in industry. With AHEAD, we have achieved an important milestone through the development of a steam-generating heat pump operating at 11 bar and 184 °C using only natural refrigerants. Industrial high-temperature heat pumps hold enormous potential, as 39 percent of the process heat demand in European industry is below 200 °C. Thanks to the NEFI innovation network, we as research partners can test key technologies like this in close cooperation with companies, reducing both technical and economic risks on the path to energy-efficient industrial processes. The successful implementation of projects like AHEAD demonstrates how crucial the link between industry and research, as well as the use of digital methods, is for competitive and sustainable production in the future.”

Bernd Vogl, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund: “Innovative technologies made in Austria are key to achieving climate neutrality. They demonstrate that energy supply from renewable sources is feasible, economically viable, and environmentally beneficial – while also strengthening Austria as a location and supporting jobs. Takeda has impressively proven this with the AHEAD project. With our FTI initiative for the transformation of industry, we are now taking the next step: we are looking for projects that enable climate-neutral production and make Austria resilient and future-proof for the long term.”

Veronika Wilk, Project Manager und Electrification & Energy Efficiency HUB Co-Lead at NEFI: "The AHEAD project is a new milestone in the development of industrial heat pumps. The AHEAD system uses waste heat from the cold supply to produce steam, using heat pumps with natural refrigerants and steam compressors. This system can therefore be easily transferred to other sectors. AHEAD serves as a practical example for Austrian industrial companies wanting to decarbonize their processes.“

From Vienna to the World

At the Austrian Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, AHEAD is showcased as an example of forward-looking technology. This highlights the importance of long-term partnerships and demonstrates how shared knowledge can help tackle global climate and energy challenges. AHEAD sends a strong signal of Austrian industrial innovation on a global scale.

With its commissioning, AHEAD now enters standard operation. The pilot project aims at potential global scaling: the monitoring data will be applicable not only to the Vienna site but also to other Takeda production centres, serving as a benchmark for CO₂-free process heat in the pharmaceutical industry and beyond.

Link to the OTS-Press release (in German)