USA – Emerson Climate Technologies is currently building a fully operational commercial kitchen with the aim of researching and developing solutions to the many challenges faced by the food service industry such as connected kitchen concepts, new refrigerants, and food safety.

This commercial kitchen is one of five modules which are under construction at The Helix innovation center, an approximately 40,000-square-foot facility which has been purpose built on the University of Dayton campus. Emerson have invested a sum of $35 million in The Helix and hope to encourage an ambitious, collaborative approach to conducting research in order to create new technologies that meet head-on the challenges encountered in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry.

“We want to look holistically at the challenges facing busy commercial kitchens, so our new facility will be a working restaurant that can serve 150. We will be able to simulate warm and cold climates, as well as looking at zoning, lighting, humidity and food temperature scenarios. The facility will be built with the latest technology from food service equipment manufacturers and Emerson’s own controls and food recycling systems,” stated Allen Wicher, the director of food service marketing for Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration business.

The fully functional 1,500 square foot commercial kitchen will enable Emerson and its collaborators to implement innovative solutions to current and future challenges in food service operations. The first step in this process is to create a cross-functional team of food service product experts who will interview chefs and staff at commercial kitchens across the USA.

Upon completion, The Helix innovation center will employ about 35 people and will focus on five key HVACR industry markets: supermarket refrigeration, food service operations, residential connected homes, data center cooling and light commercial buildings.
The center will also include three learning labs and the company plans on using the facility to host industry meetings and forums for HVACR professionals.