The NEFI Technology Talk “Smart, Digital, Flexible”, held in mid-January 2026, addressed precisely these issues and brought together industry, research, and technology development in an intensive exchange. The Technology Talk was jointly designed by the Hub Co-Leads Tara Esterl and Kerstin Pfleger-Schopf and provided a clearly structured framework for expert dialogue and discussion. Through the moderation of Tara Esterl, the thematic priorities were purposefully addressed, and strong links were established between practice, research, and strategic considerations.
At the Energy Enquiry in the Styrian Parliament on December 3rd, 2025, the importance of a secure and sustainable energy supply for the region’s economic competitiveness became clear. The discussions focused on questions relating to renewable energies, storage solutions, high-performance grids, appropriate regulatory frameworks, and the role of research and innovation.
At the NEFI Technology Talk on December 3rd, 2025, the circular economy was highlighted as a key factor in achieving a sustainable industrial transformation. More than 50 participants discussed how resource efficiency, reuse and new material strategies can already be successfully implemented in industry today.
The contributions clearly demonstrated that the circular economy not only generates environmental benefits, but also opens up new business models and industrial value-creation potential.
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and Takeda were honored with the DECA Award Industry 2025 at the Austrian Energy Efficiency Congress for the pioneering NEFI project AHEAD (Advanced Heat Pump Demonstrator). The award recognises the outstanding technological innovation of the first industrial high-temperature heat pump demonstrator, which enables CO₂-free steam generation for pharmaceutical production processes – a milestone for the sustainable transformation of energy-intensive industries.
The NEFI project GreenBricks at the demonstration plant in Uttendorf has won the prestigious 2024 Energy Star of Upper Austria in the category "Energy Transition at Its Best" (original: „Energiewende ganz groß“)!
This award recognises innovative projects that position Upper Austria as a model region for climate protection and the energy transition. Together, Wienerberger and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology demonstrate how circular economy and climate-friendly production become a reality.
We need more energy in the future but less CO2. Direct current aims to make both possible.
By 2030, global energy demand will increase by 30%. The challenge lies in meeting this growing demand without burning fossil fuels, says Hartwig Stemmberger, Manager at Eaton Technologies, during the NEFI (New Energy for Industry) conference in Vienna. However, existing energy grids are already reaching their limits, and expansion projects in Europe often take decades. For him, a viable approach is the expansion of DC in industry.
After 24 months of reconstruction, the wienerberger plant in Uttendorf launched on November 28, 2024 the most sustainable brick production within the wienerberger Group. Using the world’s largest industrial electric kiln, CO2 emissions at this demonstration site are reduced by up to 90%.
