Energy EfficiencyInnovative Energy Efficiency in the European Food and Beverage Industry: A Holistic Human-Centered Approach
Summary
The INDUCE project, funded under the Horizon 2020 program, targets enhancing energy efficiency in the European food and beverage industry through a customized capacity-building program that employs a human-centered design approach. This initiative introduces a novel four-phase methodology (Inspiration, Ideation, Implementation, Monitoring) which transcends conventional energy management practices by incorporating behavioral and cultural considerations to establish a sustainable energy culture within organizations.
Pilot studies involving companies from Germany, France, Spain, and the Netherlands demonstrate the method's adaptability and efficacy, with empirical evidence suggesting the significant energy savings potential. The findings underscore the importance of tailoring both training and methodologies to company-specific contexts and highlight the pivotal role of behavioral and cultural changes alongside technical interventions in realizing long-term energy efficiency improvements.
The INDUCE approach has strategic relevance for the broader European food and beverage sector, offering a scalable solution that promises particular benefits to SMEs that typically lack resources for extensive energy management interventions. This methodology thus has the prospect of acting as a driving force for energy efficiency across the industry.
Open full article
Innovative Energy Efficiency in the European Food and Beverage Industry: A Holistic Human-Centered Approach
Introduction to the INDUCE Project
The INDUCE project, a significant initiative under the Horizon 2020 framework, aims to foster energy efficiency within the food and beverage sector across Europe. It seeks to design a comprehensive capacity-building program that equips companies with the knowledge and skills to enhance their energy efficiency through a unique, human-centered design (HCD) approach. This innovative methodology aims to create a sustained energy culture by directly involving and motivating key actors within the companies.
A New Paradigm for Energy Management
The INDUCE methodology integrates a four-phase approach—Inspiration, Ideation, Implementation, and Monitoring—tailored to address the specific energy and cultural needs of each company. This strategy goes beyond traditional energy audits and management systems, incorporating behavioral and cultural assessments to foster a deeper, lasting impact on energy efficiency practices. The involvement of over a dozen pilot companies across Germany, France, Spain, and the Netherlands provides a diverse testing ground for this methodology, showcasing its adaptability and potential for broad application across the sector.
Empirical Insights and Pilot Results
The project's findings highlight significant potential for energy savings and efficiency improvements, particularly emphasizing the role of company-specific adaptations of the training and methodologies. Insights from pilot applications reveal that while technical solutions are critical, the integration of cultural and behavioral changes drives the most significant long-term savings and efficiency gains. Such integrations have proven essential in transforming the energy use landscape within these pilot companies.
Strategic Implications for the European Food and Beverage Industry
The adoption of the INDUCE methodology could serve as a catalyst for widespread energy efficiency improvements across the European food and beverage industry. The approach’s flexibility and adaptability make it a valuable tool for companies of all sizes, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that make up a significant portion of the industry but often lack the resources to implement comprehensive energy strategies.
To read the full document, please check here
To learn more about why this is important for the EENOVA project, please check here.
