(Finance) – The European Investment Bank (EIB) finances with 50 million euros the innovation and digitization strategy of Hepta, an independent global player specialized in the commercial refrigeration sector for the Retail, Fodd&Beverage and Ho.re.Ca. worlds, in order to improve their competitiveness and reduce their environmental footprint. The investments will mainly be made in the Limana plants in the province of Belluno and, to a lesser extent, in Hendaye (France). From 2019 to today, the EU bank has financed Epta with 110 million euros through two operations.
Thanks to the support of the EIB, Epta will further increase its own capacity and efficiency productive, developing increasingly innovative, digital and sustainable products and services for its customers. One of main goals of the EIB’s support, as the European Union’s climate bank, is to generate positive environmental impacts. Indeed, thanks to the investments in new technologies and digitization processes, Epta will improve its production processes and the environmental footprint of its customers, supporting them in the energy transition and helping to reduce food waste.
In detail, the resources made available by the EIB will contribute to the development of new, more efficient and sustainable products, containing a high percentage of material recycled and more easily recyclable at the end of its life. Furthermore, these products will use natural refrigerant fluids, helping to help its customers improve their environmental sustainability, in line with the requirements of the F-gas Directive. As for the digitization of the company to increase its productivityflexibility, standardization and cost reduction, Epta will develop cutting-edge software and hardware for applications compliant with Industry 4.0 and/or related to the Industrial Internet of Things.
Jasmine VigliottiEIB Vice-President, commented: “The EIB’s support will allow Epta to develop advanced and sustainable solutions in the field of commercial refrigeration, contributing to the transition towards an ever greener economy. The EIB is committed to promoting investments that have a positive impact on the environment and help create jobs, and this project is a great example of our mission.”
Marco Nocivelli, President and CEO of Epta, declared: “I am delighted to be able to announce a new page in the history of the collaboration between Epta and the EIB. This new loan represents a very important stimulus to continue our growth path, based on a strategy dedicated to innovation and digitization, and will allow us to continue working to improve the energy efficiency of our refrigeration solutions, making them more competitive and significantly reducing the environmental impact. At Epta we are committed to shaping a sustainable future for the refrigeration industry and this partnership with the EIB represents a significant step towards achieving this goal. Together, we will continue to promote innovation, efficiency and environmental protection in our sector and the growth of the territories in which we operate”.