The project is being carried out by Takeda together with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and demonstrates the importance of collaboration between industry and research institutes.

On September 22, 2025, the official commissioning of AHEAD (Advanced Heat Pump Demonstrator) took place at Takeda in Vienna.

With the official commissioning of AHEAD, Takeda is setting a new standard for sustainable pharmaceutical production. AHEAD was honored with the Net Zero Industries Award in Austria in 2023, presented at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28, and is part of the Austrian Pavilion at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The research project was launched in 2022 by Takeda together with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and funded by the Climate and Energy Fund, endowed with funds from the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, as part of the "NEFI – New Energy for Industry" research initiative.

The high-temperature heat pump used at Takeda's Vienna site makes it possible for the first time to generate process steam entirely without fossil fuels: a decisive step toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions before 2035, to which Takeda has committed itself worldwide. The Vienna production facility is one of Takeda's largest sites worldwide, employing approximately 2,500 people.More than 20 different medicines are produced here for patientsin Austria and in over 100 countries worldwide. With AHEAD, Takeda is strengthening its environmental footprint and demonstrating its commitment to innovation to achieve its ambitious environmental goals, which set new standards in the industry.

The project progress

The project began with an extensive planning phase. The basis was the existing CO₂-free energy center at the Vienna production site at Langen Allee 24, which has now been expanded with AHEAD. Preparatory construction work began in May 2024, and the construction phase of AHEAD began in summer 2024. The high-temperature heat pump successfully entered trial operation in summer 2025.

The plant will be accompanied by 4,000 hours of scientific monitoring by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology to evaluate the technology's performance and transferability to other locations and industries. To determine the decarbonization potential, a novel approach was developed that combines process requirements and expected process changes, learning curves for high-temperature heat pumps based on the experience from the demonstration operation and potential optimizations, and statistical data. This allows the plant's operating strategy to be continuously optimized.

Technological innovation

The core of AHEAD is the steam-generating heat pump from SPH Sustainable Process Heat GmbH, which runs on 100 percent natural refrigerants and, in combination with steam compressors, can achieve process temperatures of over 200 °C – higher than the 184 °C at 11 bar(a) required for pharmaceutical production at Takeda. A key feature of AHEAD is the utilization of existing refrigeration systems and their seasonally available waste heat. This gives the plant the potential to generate CO₂-free steam for a period of more than seven months. The annual savings potential amounts to up to 1,600 tons of CO₂, corresponding to a reduction of approximately 80 percent for the Vienna site at Lange Allee 24.

Sustainability as a common task

Andreas Kugi, Scientific Director of AIT: "Heat pumps will be a central element of future energy infrastructure – also in industry. With AHEAD, we are setting an important milestone with the development of a steam-generating heat pump that operates exclusively with natural refrigerants at 11 bar and 184°C. Industrial high-temperature heat pumps have enormous potential, as 39 percent of European industry's process heat demand is below 200°C. Thanks to the NEFI innovation network, we, as research partners, can test key technologies such as these in close collaboration with companies, thus reducing the technical and economic risk on the path to energy-efficient industrial processes. The successful implementation of projects like AHEAD demonstrates how crucial the connection between industry and research, as well as the use of digital methods, is for competitive and sustainable production in the future."

Thomas Wozniewski, Global Manufacturing & Supply Officer: "We are convinced that a healthy planet is the prerequisite for a healthy life. Therefore, we have set ambitious environmental goals for more sustainable pharmaceutical production, including net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 along our value chain. To achieve these goals, we are continuously evaluating and implementing new technologies. Environmental protection is a shared responsibility, and AHEAD is an excellent example of how collaboration between industry and research institutes can lead to success and set trends beyond our own industry."

Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism: "Austria needs an economic upswing to secure jobs, prosperity, and our welfare state. We can only achieve this upswing if we focus on our strengths: hard work, inventiveness, and internationalism. AHEAD demonstrates how these strengths generate innovation, create added value, and visibly strengthen our location internationally. My congratulations go to everyone who contributed to this flagship project."

Volker Schaffler, Head of the Energy and Environmental Technologies Department at the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, who participated in the official commissioning of AHEAD on behalf of Federal Minister Peter Hanke, said: "The AHEAD research project, funded by the national Climate and Energy Fund, marks an important milestone for the energy transition in industrial heat supply in Austria. This concept can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 80 percent and thus make a significant contribution to replacing fossil fuels such as natural gas in industrial processes. This opens up new perspectives for key industries such as paper, chemicals, petrochemicals, and food. AHEAD exemplifies the innovative spirit and technological expertise of Austrian manufacturing companies in cooperation with the domestic research community."

Barbara Novak, City Councillor for Economic Affairs, who attended on behalf of Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig, was delighted with the opening: "Vienna is proud that such a pioneering project as AHEAD has been realized. It makes a significant contribution to the ambitious implementation of climate goals at the industrial level and strengthens Vienna as a business location as a hotspot for sustainable high-tech innovations. It underscores Vienna's role as an international pioneer in the life sciences industry and demonstrates how we shape sustainable progress with courage, innovation, and partnership. With projects like AHEAD, we are making a clear commitment: Sustainability and economic strength are not opposites, but go hand in hand. This is the future we stand for in Vienna – innovative, responsible, and globally connected."

Bernd Vogl, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund: "Innovative technologies made in Austria are the key to climate neutrality. They demonstrate that energy supply from renewable energies is feasible, economically viable, and ecologically beneficial – and at the same time, they strengthen the location and jobs in Austria. Takeda has impressively demonstrated this with the AHAED project. With our RTI initiative for the transformation of industry, we are now taking the next step: We are seeking projects that enable climate-neutral production and make Austria permanently resilient and future-proof."

From Vienna for the world

AHEAD will be showcased as an example of pioneering technologies in the Austrian Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. This underscores the importance of long-term partnerships and demonstrates how shared knowledge can contribute to solving global climate and energy issues. AHEAD sends a strong signal about the innovative power of Austrian industrial projects in a global context.

With the commissioning now complete, AHEAD is entering standard operation. AHEAD serves as a pilot project for potential global scaling: The data obtained from monitoring will be made available not only for the Vienna site, but also for other Takeda production centers, thus serving as a model for CO₂-free process heat in the pharmaceutical industry and beyond.