Sometimes, the most critical infrastructure in a region is the one you never think about until it stops working. At the top of the advertising column in the 2013 programme sits a blue and white ad for Fridina BV, a company specializing in “Bedrijfskoeling en airconditioning” (Industrial cooling and air conditioning) based in Groningen.
While it might seem like a dry B2B advertisement, industrial cooling is the absolute lifeblood of the northern Dutch economy. The region is a massive powerhouse for agriculture, food processing, and chemical logistics. From the potato processing plants to the massive dairy export facilities, everything requires precise, reliable refrigeration. By advertising in the FC Groningen programme, Fridina BV was ensuring their brand was top-of-mind for the factory managers and logistics directors enjoying the match in the sponsor seats.
A Look into the Future
Fast forward to 2026, and the business of cooling has transformed from a standard industrial requirement into a critical climate challenge. With European summers becoming increasingly brutal and environmental regulations strictly phasing out traditional synthetic refrigerants, companies like Fridina BV have had to pivot towards highly complex, sustainable cooling technologies like CO2 and ammonia systems. Furthermore, the explosion in demand for residential and commercial heat pumps (which use the exact same thermodynamic principles as air conditioning) has made the cooling and heating sector one of the most lucrative and rapidly expanding industries in the modern green economy.