The improvement of silica aerogel monolith production is of great importance to address global environmental efforts (SDG12). Aerogel monoliths possess exceptional properties, such as thermal insulation and transparency, making them a promising future alternative for windows and hollow walls, offering significant energy savings in urban industries (SDG11), improving the design, technologies and materials. These benefits and various other applications make aerogels a valuable investment for addressing future environmental challenges. This paper proposes the design of a new press for producing silica aerogel monoliths via the rapid supercritical extraction method, aiming to reduce energy consumption, enable the formation of higher-quality, crack-free monoliths, and optimize the production process through a controlled cycle (SDG9). Typically, presses used for this purpose are hydraulically operated and controlled in an open loop. In the  paper a model of the production process with a open-loop control has been developed and validated using experimental data and a new press has been proposed with an electrically driven ball screw having a closed-loop control system. Model-based simulations demonstrate the new press’s improved energy efficiency.