Gurten, Upper Austria, July 2026 – The industry’s transition to climate neutrality requires new technological approaches for the efficient use of renewable energy. Through the Austrian DC Pilot Factory, a consortium comprising research and industry organisations – including the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Emotion Srl, FH OÖ Forschungs & Entwicklungs GmbH, Fill Gesellschaft m.b.H., OÖ Energiesparverband, Smart Cities Consulting GmbH, STIWA AMS GmbH and the Vienna University of Technology – Industry 4.0 Pilot Factory – is demonstrating how direct current technologies can make the energy supply at production sites more flexible, efficient and sustainable.
As part of the NEFI – New Energy for Industry innovation network, a demonstration plant has been set up at the mechanical engineering firm Fill in Gurten, which connects photovoltaic systems, production facilities and bidirectionally chargeable electric vehicles within a shared direct current network. The aim of the project is to investigate the potential of direct current technologies for industrial applications under real operating conditions and to highlight their contribution to the decarbonisation of industry.
Innovative energy use through direct current and e-mobility
At the heart of the Austrian DC Pilot Factory is a secure and scalable direct current grid that connects renewable energy sources and flexible consumers directly with one another. Particular emphasis is placed on the integration of bidirectionally chargeable electric vehicles, which are used not only as a means of transport but also as mobile energy storage units.
Surplus solar power from the photovoltaic systems can be stored in the vehicle batteries and fed back into the site’s energy system as required. This helps to reduce peak loads, increase self-consumption of renewable energy and improve grid stability.
Direct current grids also offer the potential to reduce energy losses compared with conventional alternating current systems and to facilitate the integration of renewable energy. The Austrian DC Pilot Factory is thus providing important insights for the future design of energy-efficient and climate-friendly production sites.
Research and demonstration for the industry of tomorrow
The Austrian DC Pilot Factory combines scientific research with industrial practice. The findings from the project are intended to help companies make their energy supply more flexible and use renewable energy even more efficiently.
The project serves as a prime example of how innovative energy technologies can contribute to achieving Austrian and European climate targets, and of the role that direct current grids will play in the industry of the future.
Innovative solutions for the industrial energy transition through collaboration between research and industry
Friederich Kupzog, Head of Center for Energy, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
“Innovative technologies are available for the future energy supply of industry, in particular direct current technology. The task now is to apply them, scale them up and put them into industrial practice. With the Austrian DC Pilot Factory, we are demonstrating how direct current technologies, photovoltaics and electromobility can be integrated into a smart energy system. The project provides valuable insights for the industrial energy transition whilst also strengthening Austria’s role as a technological pioneer in the field of innovative energy systems.”
Martin Muik, Forschung & Entwicklung, Fill Gesellschaft m.b.H.
“As an industrial company, we face the challenges of ensuring a sustainable yet cost-effective energy supply on a daily basis. The Austrian DC Pilot Factory enables us to test and further develop new technologies directly in a real-world production environment. Our collaboration with research and industry partners lays important foundations for a sustainable industrial energy supply and demonstrates how innovation and climate protection can work together successfully.”
Michael Hübner, Department of Energy and Environmental Technologies, Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI)
“Through projects such as the Austrian DC Pilot Factory, Austria is strengthening its position as a hub for innovation in climate-neutral industrial technologies. The demonstration plant impressively demonstrates how research, industry and public funding can work together to pioneer new approaches to a sustainable energy supply.”
Urban Peyker, Deputy Managing Director, Climate and Energy Fund
“The Austrian DC Pilot Factory is an excellent example of how research findings can be translated into industrial practice. The intelligent integration of renewable energy, direct current technologies and electric mobility is giving rise to solutions that make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of industry. Such demonstration projects are crucial for raising the profile of innovations and accelerating their widespread implementation.”
A glimpse into the Austrian DC Pilot Factory: demonstration workshop on 1 July 2026
On 1 July 2026, interested parties had the opportunity to learn about the demonstration plant and the project results during a demonstration workshop at Fill in Gurten. The workshop was run by the project partner OÖ Energiesparverband, which provided significant support in organising and facilitating the event. As well as specialist talks and project presentations, the programme included guided tours of the demonstration plant and discussions with experts from research and industry.
Further information on the project:
https://www.nefi.at/en/project/austrian-dc-pilot-factory
About the Austrian DC Pilot Factory
Under the leadership of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology – Austria’s largest research and technology organisation – the Austrian DC Pilot Factory is researching and demonstrating the integration of direct current technologies, photovoltaics and bidirectional electric mobility into industrial energy systems. The aim is to develop new solutions for the efficient use of renewable energy and for a flexible and resilient energy supply for production sites, and to test these under real-world conditions.
About NEFI – New Energy for Industry
The Austrian DC Pilot Factory is part of the NEFI – New Energy for Industry innovation network, which is driving forward the decarbonisation of the industrial energy system using key technologies ‘made in Austria’. NEFI has been formed as a consortium comprising the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, the Montanuniversität Leoben, the Upper Austrian Energy Saving Association and the Upper Austrian business development agency Business Upper Austria, and brings together a wide range of expertise in the field of energy research and project implementation. The NEFI projects are supported by the Climate and Energy Fund with funding from the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI). Significant support is also provided by the federal states of Upper Austria and Styria. www.nefi.at
Project partners
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (Projektleitung), Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Emotion Srl, FH OÖ Forschungs & Entwicklungs GmbH, Fill Gesellschaft m.b.H., OÖ Energiesparverband, Smart Cities Consulting GmbH, STIWA AMS GmbH, Technische Universität Wien – Pilotfabrik Industrie 4.0
Contacts for media:
NEFI – New Energy for Industry
Mag. Margit Özelt
T +43 664 88390660
E: margit.oezelt@ait.ac.at
Fill Gesellschaft m.b.H.
Martina MoserbauerT +43 664 88142029
E: martina.moserbauer@fill.co.at
Klima- und Energiefonds
Mag. Katja Hoyer
T: +43 1 585 03 90-23
E-Mail: katja.hoyer@klimafonds.gv.at