Daikin bucks the trend

Daikin bucks the trend

“We are the market leader for air conditioning units and in the top 3 for heating heat pumps – we are proud of that.” Alexander Springler, General Manager at Daikin Austria since March 2025, is more than satisfied with the positioning of the HVAC manufacturer in Austria. The good mood is reinforced by the results of the past financial year - which ran from April 2024 to March 2025 at Daikin. “It was very successful,” said Springler.

Plus 42 percent

In numbers this means: Total sales in Austria increased by a whopping 42 percent compared to the previous year. Split air conditioning units developed particularly dynamically with an increase of 71 percent and heat pumps with an increase of 51 percent in the private sector, air conditioning and cooling in the commercial sector with an increase of 26 percent and customer service services with an increase of 23 percent. Heating heat pumps accounted for almost a third of total sales at 29 percent in the past financial year.

Daikin sees itself as a full-service provider in the area of ​​HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration) - across the entire product life cycle: The portfolio includes heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and commercial refrigeration solutions for single and multi-family homes, offices, hotels, retail as well as industrial and infrastructure projects and covers planning, Commissioning and regular maintenance. “We are a one-stop shop for installation companies,” says Springler.

What Daikin is particularly proud of: “As the only supplier in the world,” they develop and produce all essential components themselves - from devices to systems and compressors to refrigerants, says Springler. This guarantees high quality, reliability and efficiency.

The Japanese group is relying heavily on the European market. It operates 13 production sites in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Turkey – and Austria. This creates short supply chains and reduces CO₂ emissions. The newly opened global research and development center for heat pump heating and cold chain solutions is located in Ghent, Belgium.

According to Springler, Daikin's business in Austria has been “very positive” so far in the first half of the year, i.e. from April to October: “We also recorded growth in the first half of the year.” Daikin was able to compensate for a decline in the heat pump business as a result of the abrupt subsidy stop at the end of 2024 with an increase in air conditioning units. Springler: “We have achieved an above-average positive development there.”

Like the rest of the industry, the Daikin Austria boss is hoping for a quick start to the new funding program for heating replacement - and thus a strong boost for heat pumps. He also warns against viewing the current decline too critically: Over the past ten years, the heat pump market in Austria has grown by an average of 17 percent per year. “I think other industries and markets would envy us,” says Springler.

He is also confident in the medium term. The trend in the heat pump and air conditioning market is clearly pointing upwards in the coming years: Rising temperatures, a growing number of hot days and the political goal of decarbonization are driving demand and growth. "Heat pumps make a significant contribution to achieving the climate goals. This requires reliable framework conditions - we see long-term funding models and fewer federal guidelines when purchasing them as decisive factors," says Springler.

Daikin is preparing for the increasing demand for heat pumps. The “Daikin Altherma line” is already the best-selling air-water heat pump in Europe. With the new “Daikin Altherma 4”, an innovation will be brought onto the market from October 2025, “which works with a natural refrigerant for the first time”. Almir Karagic, who is responsible for private customer business at Dakin Austria, said: “We are convinced that climate-friendly heat pumps are the heating system of the future.”