ELECTROLUX ENERGY EFFICIENT WHITE GOODS RDI

The project comprises a selection of the Promoter's planned expenditures in Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) in the field of energy efficient home appliances. The project will be carried out primarily in the Promoter's R&D centres in Italy, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Romania and, to a lesser extent, in other smaller R&D facilities in the EU over the period 2024-2026.

The proposed RDI activities address a wide range of aspects, some of them being common to all appliance categories such as reduced energy consumption, improved sustainability of manufacturing and during operation, increased performance and quality, reduced noise, increased user friendliness, connectivity as well as cost reduction. Specific objectives to the appliance categories concerned include (i) flexibility, easy access and capacity, improved taste, food safety and improved food preservation performance (food preservation), (ii) enhanced user experience and product competitiveness (food preparation), as well as (iii) lower water and chemicals consumption and modularisation (fabric and dish care).

The Project is in line with the Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) objective of InvestEU. The relevant investments will be in the field of home appliances that are in line with the Bank's IDHC (Innovation, Digital and Human Capital) public policy goal and therefore are eligible for the Bank's financing under the Research, Innovation and Digital (RID) policy objective.

A part of the Project contributes also to the Bank's Economic and social cohesion cross-cutting objective. The support to RDI in the field of energy efficient products also through digitalisation, contribute to the Bank's transversal objective of Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability (CA&ES).

The financing of this Project supports Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) activities that generate significant positive knowledge, technology, and environmental externalities, through the creation of innovative products and services and skills development and upgrading. 

The Promoter's experienced management and proven R&D capabilities, its focus on R&D, innovation and sustainability, and its technology edge and industrialisation capability will help implement a sound and sustainable Project. The Project integrates positive environmental and social dimensions, contributes to addressing and mitigating market failures, and through its additionality, contributes to the Bank's policy objectives.

The Bank's contribution to the Project stems from its support to the diversification of Borrower's financing sources combined with the flexible drawdown terms, longer availability and financial benefits, thereby facilitating the Project's financing and its full implementation. EIB financing would support the Company's continuous RDI efforts, particularly in areas with uncertain innovation outcomes or high business cyclicality. In this way, the Bank remains aligned with its role in providing countercyclical support to a strong EU industrial leader.

The additionality elements of the EIB financing under InvestEU would be a larger facility to Electrolux than the EIB could provide under own risk. The InvestEU guarantee will allow the Bank to maximize its support to the Company otherwise not possible, due to the Bank's existing risk exposure limits. Such support is essential for Electrolux's sizeable RDI plan, which is expected to contribute to the advancement of the EU industry technology leadership, and to maintain Electrolux's competitiveness and subsequently EU's competitiveness in a very competitive global market.

The Project would not have been carried out to the same extent by the EIB without the InvestEU support.

The project consists of investments in RDI that are not listed in any of the Annexes of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2011/92/EU amended by the Directive 2014/52/EU. The environmental details will be verified during the project appraisal.

The Promoter has been assessed by the EIB as being a private company not being subject to EU rules on public procurement or concessions. However, if at the Project appraisal, the EIB were to conclude that the Promoter is subject to the EU public procurement legislation then the Bank would duly inform the Commission Services and would require the Promoter to apply those rules.