The way of the future: quality and sustainability

September 18, 2020

Signify’s CEO Market Nordics, Kenneth Gronholm, shares why he sees product quality and sustainable business practices as the future of smart home lighting

Today, many brands constantly improve and innovate existing product portfolios to ensure that products are up to date from a sustainability and technological point of view. Most brands want to futureproof their business line, contribute to a brighter world, and maintain existing customers and attract new ones.

However, we still see some businesses choosing the cheapest and fastest way to go. The tendency may be to opt for something that’s instantly available or low cost. To choose a cheaper product that may be of questionable quality and have no sustainable aspiration. We can hope that consumers themselves don’t select these options, but that’s unfortunately not always the case.

Therefore, it’s a shared responsibility between brands and consumers to always make the sustainable choice – this applies to shopping for new clothes or groceries, purchasing a new family car or when decorating and furnishing your home.

It’s a shared responsibility between brands and consumers to always make the sustainable choice"

Taking this into the modern context, it has never been easier to improve your home with solutions that are technologically advanced, fashionable, and which even benefit the environment.

On a personal note, I’m proud to be part of Signify, the world leader in lighting with a strong focus on sustainability. Signify is going zero plastic in consumer packaging, and we our operations are carbon neutral.

But it’s not only about sustainability. Smart home lighting offers many benefits, and we’re seeing more and more people ‘smartening’ up their homes.

Personalized smart lighting partners with your other smart products

Lighting became personal in 2012 when we, via the Philips Hue portfolio, gave consumers the opportunity to personalize their homes with smart lighting, enabling them to transform their space with individual and colorful light scenes.

Combining the smart lighting category with other smart products adds even more functionality when, for example, an activated smoke detector changes the lighting to red, making it easier to navigate in a smoke-filled room. And all these products are very energy efficient.

Today, more and more people see the value of being able to set the right ambiance in the home and change their lighting depending on the situation"

Today, more and more people see the value of being able to set the right ambiance in the home and change their lighting depending on the situation. This is, however, just the beginning.

I can’t wait for the smart home category to evolve further and make these intelligent and sustainable products the number one priority for consumers all over the world. Because what’s good for the planet is good for business.

Nevertheless, as we all know, brands exist to attract consumers. Of course, the final say is with consumers themselves. It doesn’t matter if they choose a product based on quality, convenience, fashion, design, or maybe all of the above. What’s important is that they make a sustainable choice.

About the author:

Kenneth Gronholm

CEO Market Nordics at Signify

For further information, please contact:

Signify Global Integrated Communications
Neil Pattie
Tel: + 31 6 15 08 48 17
Email: neil.pattie@signify.com

About Signify

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.

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