Loacker publishes its first Impact Report and anticipates a pioneering innovation that ignites the future: OptiBake, the first inductively heated wafer oven.
Auna di Sotto (BZ), 24 July 2025 – On the occasion of its centenary, Loacker takes a further step forward in its commitment to sustainability and officially presents itself as a Benefit Corporation, sharing the first Impact Report - available at this link , drawn up with the strategic advice of InVento Innovation Lab - one of the first B Corps in Italy and partner of B Lab Europe - which also supported Loacker in the transition to the new corporate form and in the definition of its future objectives.
"In addition to celebrating the first 100 years of history, 2025 represents a fundamental moment for the commitment to a responsible future," comments Ulrich Zuenelli, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "The transition to a Benefit Corporation reinforces our desire to act with transparency, vision and responsibility. We know that change requires collaboration and consistency: it is from here that we want to continue the path we have taken."
A document that traces the path taken for an authentic, regenerative change, which passes through the generations, beyond the present, in line with the historical values of the South Tyrolean company.
Becoming a Benefit Corporation has allowed Loacker to further strengthen and structure its commitment to four areas of common benefit, around which the integrated sustainability strategy is developed:
Sustainability is an integral part of Loacker's DNA: an approach that combines economic performance, attention to the environment and social commitment.
Those who grow up in the mountains soon learn to manage resources with respect and foresight: an attitude that guides every choice of the company, oriented towards the use of durable and responsible technologies.
This vision translates into concrete, courageous and rebellious actions. Loacker, which has always been a promoter of high social and environmental standards, has chosen not to be satisfied with the state of the art and has decided to go further, creating solutions that did not yet exist.
OptiBake is born: the first inductively heated wafer oven with zero direct emissions
It is precisely in this direction that, in 2020, Loacker became a pilot partner with the Bühler Group - a multinational technology partner for the food, feed, and mobility industries, headquartered in Switzerland - to develop a new zero-emission wafer baking technology. After years of research, OptiBake, the world's first flat and hollow wafer baking oven with inductive heating, was born.
A real revolution in the industrial bakery sector:
• No direct emissions of CO₂, carbon monoxide (CO) or nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• Reduce energy consumption by up to 50%
• Greater production flexibility
In 2023, the prototype was built at the Bühler site in Leobendorf (AT), while since May 2025 the first oven has been active in the testing and functional verification phase at the Loacker plant in Heinfels, in order to ensure full operation and optimal efficiency in view of the upcoming integration into the production cycle. The initial results are significantly better than expected in terms of both the quality of the final product and its performance, which has generated great enthusiasm internally.
The new oven, like all other production facilities, is powered by electricity from renewable sources, as guaranteed by Certificates of Origin, producing net zero greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operation.
Loacker immediately believed in this project, so much so that it brought together amultidisciplinary group of internal experts that could devote time and professionalism to the OptiBake project, in the Auna di Sotto and Heinfels offices and also visiting the Swiss headquarters of the Bühler Group. It was essential that in the development of the new induction-heated electric oven there was an active involvement of the production, maintenance and engineering representatives to ensure an effective and shared implementation, based on their know-how gained over years of experience.
"I am proud to work for a company that has placed the reduction of environmental impact at the heart of its strategy," says Markus Valersi, Technical Project Manager at Loacker. "Participating in the development of an innovative technology such as OptiBake was stimulating, as was involving colleagues from different departments from the beginning, enhancing their know-how."
Innovation also in packaging and research
The commitment to a more sustainable future also extends to packaging with Loacker's goal of reducing the impact of packaging without impacting product quality, legal requirements and market demands. With the Flexible Printing Technology Development project, Loacker is developing a flexible inline printing technology that allows printing directly onto packages, eliminating adhesive labels and thus reducing materials and waste.
This is an absolute first in the high-speed packaged food sector, which led the project to win the Best Packaging 2025 award, considered the Oscar of packaging, in the Technology section.
Loacker is also looking decisively to the future in the field of research. The company has begun work on the creation of a new research and development center (Loacker Technology Center) that will substantially support all business activities.
"Our Technology Center will be a key point of reference for our future growth," emphasizes Andreas Loacker, Vice Chairman and Managing Director Innovation. "In addition to being an innovation hub for the development of new products, it will also contribute to strengthening our commitment to sustainability," combining technological advancement and environmental responsibility."
