October 14, 2025
Peter Duine, Global Business Director Systems & Services, Office sub-segment, Signify
Building and facility managers considering how to introduce a fresh look to their spaces while also positively impacting the wellbeing of users, would do well to consider circadian lighting. In a new era of work, this is a technology where marginal gains can deliver big results.
Formula 1 is perhaps the ultimate sport of marginal gains. Each team has an army of engineers scrutinising every aspect of their car’s design to squeeze the smallest degrees of improved performance, knowing that expert micro-adjustments can make all the difference between winning and losing. F1 drivers also need to manage their internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, to make sure they get enough sleep so they can stay on top of their game across different countries and time zones.
This offers a clue as to where a competitive edge through lighting might lie: to deliver winning results people need to function at their highest level, whether it’s on the F1 racetrack, in everyday life or in the workplace. The nature of work today sees many of us working indoors, from F1 factory staff to office workers, teachers, or healthcare heroes working night shifts. Spending lots of time indoors away from natural light leaves us disconnected from the main regulator of our circadian rhythm.
Aleix Casanovas, performance coach of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team, shares his view on boosting his team's chances of success:
One of the most powerful tools to improve sleep is lighting. Light regulates our circadian rhythm, directly impacting how well we sleep and in turn, how well we think, feel, and perform.
Signify, lighting partner of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team, is at the forefront of circadian lighting technology, focused on delivering the right kind and quality of light for optimum biological impact throughout the day. Signify’s solutions help optimize Aleix’s team’s mental and physical wellbeing, keeping them on track – whether they work in the factory, head office or behind the wheel.
Of course, bringing the experience and benefit of natural light indoors is just as valuable to every company office, creating environments where people can perform at their best.
In the post-pandemic era, as workers gradually returned to the office, fundamental questions arose about what an office is for, what it should provide, and how it should compete with the ease of working from home. The experience turned out to be a wake-up call to design workspaces centered around the people in them. Employees should feel energized and engaged and arrive each morning into an environment where they can thrive.
Circadian lighting has a key role in people-centric design, with the potential to support physical and mental wellbeing and boost morale and energy. Research shows it could even result in a productivity gain of 12%. And for organizations eager to boost rental income and occupancy rates, installing connected lighting and dimming controls – the components of circadian lighting – can provide an important business boost. Companies such as BNP Paribas, Skansa and Hardeman are among those who have already adopted this new office lighting to great employee feedback. Hardeman, for example, installed a corridor full of Skylights, reconnecting employees and visitors to the outside even when in the middle of the building.
Indoor spaces such as schools and healthcare facilities also benefit from a range of light recipes that cater to the demands of each. At the Hollandse School in Singapore, for example, teachers reported a positive change in pupil behavior linked to different lighting modes that stimulate concentration or relaxation, depending on the task at hand. And, staff at the Meander Medical Clinic in the Netherlands have reported feeling more energised thanks to the feeling of daylight while working, contributing to an overall sense of wellbeing.
Light has a visual impact that helps us see well, a biological impact that helps us perform well, and emotional benefits that help us feel well. The combination of these elements is essential for wellbeing and the foundation for circadian lighting. Signify’s connected lighting and dimming controls can play a role in supporting workplace wellbeing and productivity by helping to replicate the body's natural rhythms and avoid disruptions to our circadian cycle. It’s a technology which helps light the way to energetic, engaged and productive offices and workspaces.
Diving deeper into the topic, let’s turn to the science of how light affects our circadian rhythm.
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.
