Daikin Industries Ltd. is racing to hire 1,000 repair and maintenance engineers globally, highlighting the growing labor shortage in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry as demand surges from data centers and semiconductor plants.
The Japanese manufacturer, which currently employs about 5,000 service engineers worldwide, is turning to acquisitions to expand its workforce. Its recent purchase of U.K.-based Robert Heath Heating added 450 employees, primarily engineers specializing in residential heating systems.
The push comes as forecasts from the International Energy Agency show global air conditioner installations could reach 5.6 billion units by 2050, more than triple the 1.6 billion recorded in 2016. This expansion is driving intense competition for skilled workers, particularly in North America where tech giants’ data center projects can generate orders worth billions of yen.
While Daikin is experimenting with virtual reality training and wearable devices from Tokyo-based Fairy Devices to accelerate skill development, industry experts note that automation can only partially address the service gap. The company’s reliance on traditional hands-on maintenance underscores the limitations of AI in complex HVAC systems.
In India, where unit sales jumped 57% from 2019 to 9.23 million in 2023, the shortage of qualified technicians could become a bottleneck for growth. The trend mirrors broader industry challenges as emerging markets and climate change drive unprecedented demand for cooling systems.
