Hybrid Industrial Heat Technology Transforms Cement And Glass Production

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

April 17, 2026

Introduction: A New Era In Industrial Heat

Hybrid energy solutions are transcending the automotive world and entering heavy industry, where making production cheaper and greener is paramount. Traditionally, cement and glass plants have relied on fossil fuels, but emerging hybrid systems are now challenging this status quo by integrating electric heat with existing infrastructures.

NOC Energy’s Revolutionary Approach

Carlos Ceballos, co-founder and CEO of NOC Energy, explains that the company’s breakthrough technology offers an advanced way to “hybridize industrial processes.” Rather than forcing a complete transition to electricity, this system allows industries the flexibility to choose the most cost-effective energy source, preserving fossil fuels until the economics of electricity become more favorable.

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Advanced Induction Heating Technology

The system is based on electric induction heating, designed for integration into existing facilities. Electric heat can be directed into specific stages of cement production or glass manufacturing, enabling operators to alternate between electricity and fossil fuels. Current capabilities reach temperatures of up to 1,200˚C, with further development targeting 1,500˚C. Achieving similar levels with alternatives such as hydrogen remains more costly at this stage.

Efficient Energy Storage And Price Arbitrage

One of the system’s standout features is its ability to store heat for extended periods. This capacity enables companies to maximize electricity usage when prices are low, such as during periods of high renewable output, and to rely on stored heat when costs surge. At the core of the invention is an induction heating element, reminiscent of the technology used in high-efficiency kitchen stoves, which energizes steel spheres within ceramic containers insulated by copper coils. Unlike resistive heaters that quickly degrade at high temperatures, these coils remain at room temperature, thereby significantly extending system longevity.

Market Validation And Future Prospects

The pilot system has accumulated around 15,000 operational hours, with two larger demonstration projects scheduled to launch in France for a glass producer and a cement manufacturer. NOC Energy recently raised $2.7 million in a seed round led by 360 Capital, with participation from SOSV and Desai VC. The company positions its technology as a way to manage both energy costs and exposure to market volatility.

Conclusion: Steering The Industrial Energy Transition

Hybrid systems are emerging as a practical approach for industries facing fluctuating energy prices and regulatory pressure. Combining electric and traditional energy sources allows companies to adapt operations without large-scale infrastructure changes. Developments from companies such as Electrified Thermal Solutions indicate that competition in this space is increasing, with further innovation expected in industrial heat technologies.

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Women Make Up A Majority Of The EU’s Science And Technology Workforce But The Real Gap Is Elsewhere

by News Editor

June 25, 2026

Women now make up the majority of the EU’s science and technology workforce. According to Eurostat, in 2025, more than 81.6 million people aged 15 to 74 were employed in science and technology occupations across the EU. Of those, 52.5% were women, equal to 42.8 million women. The number of women in these occupations rose by 27.9% compared with 2015, an increase of more than 9.3 million over a decade.

On the surface, the numbers resemble progress. However, Eurostat’s category requires context before that figure can be read accurately. The data refers to HRST, or Human Resources in Science and Technology, specifically people employed in science and technology occupations. These are roles where the main tasks require professional or technical knowledge in physical and life sciences, but also in social sciences and humanities. That definition is wider and broader than engineering, ICT, laboratory science, or high-tech research alone.

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Zooming In

The gender picture changes once the data moves from a wider definition of the workforce to the narrower scientist-and-engineer (research and manufacturing) subgroup.

Scientists and engineers represented almost a quarter of all people employed in science and technology in the EU in 2025. Eurostat describes scientists and engineers as often being the innovators at the centre of technology-led development, making them an important subgroup to focus on separately.

Women accounted for only 40.8% of scientists and engineers in 2025, despite making up more than half of the wider category. That share has increased by a mere 0.5 percentage points over the past decade. The absolute number of women working as scientists and engineers rose from 5.3 million in 2015 to 8.2 million in 2025, despite the push from national and international organisations to increase the number of women in the field. Europe has expanded the number of women in science and technology occupations over ten years. However, that expansion has not extended equally into the scientist-and-engineer subgroup, where much of Europe’s research and innovation work is conducted.

In 2025, of the 39.4 million women aged 25 to 64 working in science and technology occupations in the EU, 35.5 million worked in service activities. Only 2.7 million worked in manufacturing. Women accounted for 57.5% of science and technology employment in services, but only 31.3% in manufacturing.

In 2025, the highest shares of women employed in science and technology occupations were recorded in Latvia at 62.4%, followed by Hungary’s Great Plain and North region at 61.1%, Estonia at 60.5%, Poland’s Central macroregion at 60.4%, and Lithuania at 60.3%. No EU country recorded a majority of women among science and technology workers in manufacturing.

Break-down

Eurostat’s figures measure employment in broad science and technology occupations. They do not show job security, pay levels, management roles, promotion rates, research leadership, or whether women are concentrated in junior or senior workplace positions.

The classification of “senior” also requires additional explanation. Eurostat reports that 45.9% of science and technology workers aged 25 to 64 in the EU were classified as “senior” HRST in 2025. In this dataset, “senior” refers to workers aged 45 to 64. It does not mean senior manager, senior researcher, team lead, or decision-maker.

A high female share in the wider Human Resource Science and Technology (HRST) category does not parallel equal representation across scientists, engineers, manufacturing roles, senior posts, pay, research funding, or decision-making. These figures also reflect the occupational mix inside each country or region, not only structural progress across all areas of science and technology.

The Case Of Cyprus

Eurostat data places Cyprus’s overall science and technology employment at 37.2% of the labour force in 2025, slightly above the EU-27 figure of 36.9%, and above Greece at 26.8%, Malta at 33.9%, and Turkey at 18.2%. This figure covers the total share of the labour force employed in science and technology across all genders.

Progress Or Work-in-Progress?

52.5% in the broad category. 40.8% among scientists and engineers. 31.3% in manufacturing. Europe’s gender gap in science and technology hasn’t closed yet, and there is still work to be done to encourage and support more women to enter the field, especially in research and manufacturing.

Let’s not wait another decade for another couple of percentage points of hope.

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