Europe’s heat pumps are mostly made in Europe
October 8, 2026
On 7 October 2026, the SKILLS4HP Cluster held its second joint webinar, “From Skills Gaps to Heat Pump Deployment: What Works in Practice.” Over 90 minutes, more than 30 registered professionals joined to hear how tools, training approaches and lessons from the field are helping to close the skills gap behind Europe’s heat pump rollout.
Why this matters
Europe’s heat pump market keeps growing, but deployment depends on something fundamental: a skilled, confident and future-ready workforce. The SKILLS4HP Cluster brings together five EU-funded LIFE projects (HeatCraftHP, KnowHowHP, Re-Energize, SKILLSAFE EU and install.res) to tackle this challenge through a coordinated European approach to skills development.
After the cluster’s launch webinar in May, this second session moved from what has been built to what works in practice.
What we heard
- Geothermal heat pump solutions in practice. PhD Alexandra Ban from the Romanian Geoexchange Society (RGS), a Re-Energize partner, presented Geothermal Heat Pump Solutions in Practice: Challenges, Skills and Lessons Learned, looking at real-project challenges and the skills and coordination needed for successful implementation.
- Digital tools for practical training. Bernardo Peris Pérez from the University of Málaga (UMA), also a Re-Energize partner, introduced Opentropy, a digital platform for connected laboratories that uses AI and virtual reality to make practical heat pump training more accessible.
- Teaching heat pumps in existing buildings. Tobias Hatt from the Vorarlberg Energy Institute presented the first teaching experience and a teaser of the teaching content developed by KnowHowHP for heat pumps in existing multi-apartment buildings.
The presentations were followed by an open Q&A with participants.
One shared lesson
Three very different settings, one common message: the technology is ready, but it only works when the people delivering it have the right skills, tools and coordination. This is exactly the gap the SKILLS4HP Cluster exists to close.
What’s next
The SKILLS4HP Cluster continues to grow its joint activities as the five projects progress. Follow HeatCraftHP, KnowHowHP, Re-Energize, SKILLSAFE EU and install.res to stay up to date.
A big thank you to our speakers and to everyone who joined us.
