The NEFI Impact Report 2018–2026, presented at the NEFI conference, takes stock of eight years of innovation work and highlights the potential of Austrian solutions for industrial transformation. If the solutions developed within NEFI are consistently implemented and scaled up, up to 53 per cent of expected industrial CO₂ emissions could be avoided by 2040.
200 experts from 14 countries gathered in Vienna to discuss innovations and the framework conditions for a climate-neutral, competitive industry.
How can industrial transformation become a competitive advantage? Under the motto ‘Future Industry – Innovating for Competitiveness’, the fourth NEFI Conference brought together around 200 representatives from industry, research and politics from 14 countries at the MuseumsQuartier Vienna on 22 and 23 October. Across 13 thematic sessions featuring around 80 scientific presentations, the focus was on implementation: scaling up technologies, strengthening framework conditions and facilitating investment.
The NEFI Virtual Industry Lab (VIL) has opened in Vienna, creating a new hub for industrial transformation. The XR showroom and digital tool hub not only visualise transformation pathways but also allow them to be experienced through immersive applications – from brick production through the pharmaceutical industry to the paper industry. Developed largely by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the VIL supports companies in evaluating, planning and implementing sustainable energy and resource systems.
The revised regulatory framework for Austria’s electricity system creates numerous new opportunities for companies to reduce energy costs and accelerate their energy transition efforts. During the NEFI Technology Talk, 127 participants were presented with practical solutions, including dynamic grid access, direct lines, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), bidirectional charging, participation in balancing energy markets, and grid-supportive energy storage.
The third call of the RTI initiative “Transformation of Industry” has been completed: 34 projects will receive around €60 million in funding. Companies and research institutions are being supported in the development and implementation of climate-neutral industrial solutions.
On July 1, 2026, the Austrian DC Pilot Factory at Fill Maschinenbau in Gurten, Upper Austria, opened its doors to showcase research results and innovative demonstrators for the climate-neutral industry of the future.
Around 60 experts from industry, energy utilities, research institutions, and public administration gathered in Linz on 18 June 2026 to discuss the potential of industrial waste heat and the importance of cross-company cooperation for achieving a climate-neutral heat supply.
Electrification of heavy-duty transport is gaining momentum!
Road freight transport is a key pillar of our economic system. At present, it faces major challenges such as rising operating costs, fluctuating fuel prices, and the need to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and noise pollution.
The NEFI Technology Talk on June 2nd, 2026, made one thing clear: the electrification of industrial furnaces is already technologically feasible in many areas, but still faces infrastructural and economic challenges. A total of 45 experts from industry, research and technology development took part in the event.
At Hannover Messe 2026, it became clear where industrial energy supply is heading: direct current grids (DC grids) are becoming increasingly important for efficient and flexible energy use in industry. A key highlight was Siemens’ presentation of a new semiconductor power circuit breaker for DC applications. The SENTRON 3QD2, (Semiconductor Circuit Breaker, SCCB) (250 A, 1000 V DC), enables ultra-fast interruption of fault currents in the microsecond range on the basis of semiconductor technology.
On April 24th (5:00 – 11:00 p.m.), the “Long Night of Research”took place in Upper Austria. The NEFI partner Energiesparverband and STIWA invited visitors to Hagenberg, where they could playfully test the Energy.Factory, a programme targeting students (13 and 14 years).
“Energy transition as a career: How do I make the best, most efficient, and most sustainable chocolate?” was the motto of the station in the Hagenberg Software Park.
At the international WKÖ event BUILD’n GREEN, around 1,000 participants from more than 70 countries gathered in Vienna on April 28th, 2026 to discuss sustainable solutions across the entire life cycle in the construction sector – from materials and smart buildings to the circular economy. As part of Key Topic 2: Planning, Construction & Financing, NEFI hosted the session “Building the Energy Transition: New Energy for Industry, Integrated Heat and Smart Energy Systems in Practice”.
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%.
