Sustainable refrigeration: research, training, and cooperation drive the sector's evolution

Refrigeration is now an essential component of modern infrastructure: it supports food safety, healthcare, product preservation, cold storage logistics , and, more generally, the resilience of economic and social systems . In this context, the International Institute of Refrigeration's new Activity Report 2025 confirms the sector's need to evolve through scientific innovation, international collaboration, and increasingly sustainability-oriented strategies.

The document summarizes the main activities carried out during the year and provides a broad overview of the work carried out together with member countries, scientific committees, partners, researchers, and experts. The goal is to strengthen the contribution of refrigeration and heat pumps to the energy and climate transition through more efficient, safe, and low-impact solutions.

Refrigeration as a critical infrastructure for the economy, health and climate

The report highlights the role of refrigeration as a strategic technology to address some of the major global challenges : food security, healthcare, energy demand, climate change and equitable access to modern and efficient systems.

For industry professionals, this approach confirms an increasingly evident shift: refrigeration can no longer be considered merely a technical function of the system, but rather a strategic lever for energy efficiency, process continuity, and reduced environmental impact.

The increasing demand for cooling and conservation requires work on multiple levels: more efficient technologies, low GWP refrigerants, conscious design, proper system management, and ongoing operator training.

Projects, events, and scientific dissemination: the numbers for 2025

The main results reported in the 2025 Activity Report include five European and international projects, 36 supported demonstration sites, ten scientific and institutional events, and over 140 papers presented. The events promoted or supported involved 1,464 participants, while the scientific network includes more than 390 experts.

Another key element concerns the dissemination of technical knowledge . Over the course of the year, 23 documents were published, 8 of which were open access, achieving nearly 22,000 downloads. Capacity-building programs also involved over 220 people, confirming the importance of training in the sector's growth.

These data show how the refrigeration transition depends not only on the evolution of individual technologies, but also on the ability to transfer skills, build shared standards, and make reliable technical information available.

Refrigerants, heat pumps, and sustainable cooling policies

The Activity Report also focuses on the relationship between refrigeration, governance, and public policy . Recommendations for 2025 have been made in several strategic areas: national governance, heat pumps, action plans for cooling and heating, workforce training, low-GWP refrigerants, and support for developing countries.

For the refrigeration supply chain, these issues are closely linked. Reducing the climate impact of systems requires not only more sustainable refrigerants, but also proper design, qualified maintenance, operational safety, and constant compliance with regulatory frameworks.

The message emerging from the report is clear: sustainable refrigeration requires an integrated vision, in which research, industry, and institutions collaborate to transform scientific knowledge into concrete applications. This direction also closely concerns the Italian market, which is challenged to address the growing demand for refrigeration with efficient, reliable solutions consistent with climate objectives.