Zumtobel Group
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The European Patent Office (EPO) once again confirms that Tridonic and Zumtobel Lighting, two brands of the Zumtobel Group, rank among Austria’s leading innovators: The technology subsidiary Tridonic is one of the top 3 applicants for patents. Zumtobel takes seventh place in the annual ranking, which was published in mid-March 2024.
Innovation drivers of the Group
Tridonic came second in the EPO ranking with 60 patent applications in 2023, which makes it one of the most innovative companies in Austria. With this excellent result, the component manufacturer underlines its leading position as a technology driver in the lighting industry. Overall, the subsidiary of the Zumtobel Group holds 2,430 patents and patent applications – in addition to industrial property rights at the EPO, these also include a large number of CN and US patents. With 36 new patent applications, Zumtobel Lighting achieved seventh place among the top applicants from Austria in 2023.
Protecting innovation
The purpose of patent applications is to protect the company’s know-how and to further expand market leadership also at an international level.
— Alfred Felder, CEO of the Zumtobel Group
Vorarlberg in fourth place
Thanks to its innovative strength, the Zumtobel Group also supports the high patent density of the federal province of Vorarlberg, where the company is headquartered. In a comparison of all Austrian federal provinces, Vorarlberg ranks fourth in the number of applications for patents, with a total of 277 applications.
Austria in seventh place
Weighted by population density, the ranking of European patent applications (264 applications) shows Austria in seventh place, immediately following Germany. Switzerland holds the number one position (1,085). Overall, Austrian companies submitted 2,355 patent applications in 2023. The number of patent applications has barely changed compared with the previous year (2,381) (minus 1.1% compared with 2022).
We proudly present our new IoT product brand Keyture. Welcome to the Zumtobel Group! Keyture is the Zumtobel Group’s new cloud-based connectivity and IoT ecosystem. Its intelligent key features support the optimal use of the brand's own Thorn Lighting and Zumtobel Lighting luminaires in professional sensor-supported lighting systems to enable their operation with maximum energy efficiency.
As part of Light + Building 2024, the world's leading trade fair for lighting and building technology in Frankfurt am Main, the Zumtobel Group's new IoT product brand Keyture will be presented for the first time at the company's stand in the Messe Forum from 3 to 8 March. Keyture is the Zumtobel Group’s new cloud-based connectivity and IoT ecosystem. Its intelligent key features support the Zumtobel Group brands Thorn and Zumtobel to optimise the use of their luminaires in professional sensor-supported lighting systems to enable their operation with maximum energy efficiency.
— Alfred Felder, CEO of the Zumtobel Group
Keyture applications
The modular structured, multifunctional software suite is based on intelligent sensors and includes solutions to maximise energy reduction (control), provide the necessary information for maintenance and the monitoring of sustainability goals (report), real-time space optimization (view), identify and follow objects (locate), as well as environmental and operational excellence monitoring (sense). The focus will be on the “Industry & Retail” application area.
After the first presentation at the Light + Building trade fair, Keyture will be available to customers starting in autumn 2024. It will form the core portfolio for Smart Building Solutions. The Zumtobel Group acquired the rights to the SiteWorx IoT software developed by Digital Lumens (with exclusive rights for Europe) in autumn 2023 and has now successfully integrated this software in the product offering for its Smart Building Solutions.
Siemens partnership
The future focus on IoT is underscored by the Zumtobel Group's ecosystem partnership that was recently signed on 29 February 2024 with Siemens and Enlighted, a leading building technology company that is part of Siemens. This strategic partnership is designed to bundle the know-how for smart buildings and jointly offer innovative solutions. The focus lies, above all, on the following application areas: commercial buildings, higher education and smart hospitals.
— Alfred Felder, CEO of the Zumtobel Group
The biological and emotional effects of light are frequently underestimated. For example, there is hardly any reliable data on the positive effects of human-centric lighting (HCL) in an industrial environment. There is also a lack of information on the positive effects of light on the sleep and cognitive performance of industrial shift workers. When Volvo Group Trucks intended to refurbish the outdated T8 lighting system at their production facility in Ghent, they joined forces with Zumtobel and several prestigious research institutes including KU Leuven in Ghent and the Howest University of Applied Sciences in Bruges to research the effects of human-centric lighting on people working on industrial assembly lines.
Comparison of three different lighting scenarios
The aim of the field study was to compare the effects of three different lighting scenarios on the well-being of shift workers. To do this, Zumtobel equipped a 150-metre-long production line with its TECTON continuous-row lighting system. The first 50 metres were equipped with TECTON C standard LED luminaires, which were mounted on two light lines directly above the production line. The second 50-metre section was equipped with the same lighting, along with additional tunableWhite luminaires and the LITECOM lighting management system, which made it possible to program the lighting system and to vary the light colours and brightness levels. Changing colour temperatures were used to simulate the natural cycle of daylight, which had a sustained, positive effect on employee well-being.
The third section of the production line was illuminated with human-centric lighting. To achieve a vertical illuminance of more than 1,000 lux and thus create the effect of melanopic light, Zumtobel installed an additional third light line. This consisted of a special version of TECTON basic with reflectors and produced the HCL effect through its high vertical illuminance, while thanks to their clever placement in the corridor, the HCL luminaires reflected the light back into the production facility. Zumtobel installed a total of around 600 metres of TECTON light line, with RESCLITE luminaires used for the emergency and safety lighting in all three lighting scenarios.
Field study confirms lighting’s central role
The field study itself was conducted in three groups (one for each lighting scenario), each with around 50 participants. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to accurately measure the differences between the three groups. The study focused on factors such as visual comfort, cognitive function, sleep efficiency, circadian rhythms and physical activity. The results of the field study confirmed previous hypotheses about the relationship between lighting and the cognitive function of industrial shift workers. For example, employees working in HCL were more alert and more focused than the control group. In addition, the former group also demonstrated measurably better sleep efficiency and sleep latency.
Based on the conclusive results of the study and a comprehensive assessment of all three lighting scenarios (standard LED, tunableWhite and HCL), Volvo Group Trucks decided to completely retrofit their Ghent production facility using LED luminaires with tunableWhite. In addition to the positive effects on employee health, other factors such as cost and energy efficiency also played a role in the decision to invest. As part of the rollout, the company has so far equipped more than 100,000 square metres of its facility in Ghent with Zumtobel tunableWhite luminaires including warehouses, offices and shelving, with the retrofitting of further areas also planned.^
The results of the study impressed not only Volvo Group Trucks. The analysis of the collected data and the resulting modernisation of the lighting at the Ghent plant also impressed the DALI Alliance: the project received the popular DALI Award in the 'Industrial' category at the DALI Lighting Awards 2023. The jury praised the use of DALI technologies to improve the well-being of employees, which was achieved through the implementation of TunableWhite in all production areas.
— Romanito Van Brabant, Project manager Zumtobel
Employees benefit from support for their circadian rhythms
“Thanks to its use of changing light colours, tunableWhite technology provides optimal support for employees’ circadian rhythms. Employees are alert and active at the right time and able to get the rest they need at the end of their shift. Even if they come home in the daylight, they can still enjoy healthy and restful sleep,” explains Zumtobel project manager, Romanito Van Brabant.
Rudy Van Leeuwen, electrical installations project manager at Volvo Group Trucks Operations in Ghent, adds: “Our company philosophy is focused on people. The aim of the joint project was therefore to create the best light for every activity at every workplace. And our expectations were met: the environment for our shift personnel is significantly better and more pleasant than it was with the original lighting. This has a positive effect on the well-being and motivation of our employees and is why Zumtobel tunableWhite is now our go-to technology, which we are also using in our newly opened battery assembly plant for heavy-duty electric trucks in Ghent. In addition, we frequently receive enquiries about our lighting from the Volvo Truck sites in Singapore, Sweden, South Korea and Brazil, and even from our colleagues at Volvo Cars.”
Zumtobel's SCENO luminaire, presented in April 2022, has convinced the jury: 132 design experts from over 20 countries have chosen their favourites in the course of the iF Design Awards 2023. The discreet design of SCENO won the award in the Retail Luminaire/Spotlight and Track category.
Every year, a jury of design experts presents the coveted iF Design Award. The award places emphasis on both exceptional design and innovative strength. One of this year's award-winning products is the SCENO luminaire by Zumtobel, which received an award in the Retail Luminaire/Spotlight and Track category for its design and wide range of applications.
Discreet design and brilliant light
The discreet design of the luminaire leaves the stage to the goods and draws the customer's attention to the products. It also impresses with a timeless exterior and straight lines. SCENO creates uniform and brilliant light at the same time. This is ensured by the specially developed lens technology. Instead of a large light source, Zumtobel relies on a row of miniaturised lighting chambers. Whether seven LEDs or 14, whether fitted on one or two sides: the combination of lenses and glare control honeycombs guarantees high lighting quality and effective glare control with a high level of visual comfort. Retailers can create a stimulating atmosphere with SCENO, turning purely functional shopping into an emotional experience.
— Jörg Linden, Application Manager Retail at Zumtobel
Design freedom thanks to four variants and countless application options
In addition to the fixed central section, SCENO has independent wings in which the honeycombs are integrated and which can be adjusted separately and aligned in the store. Depending on requirements, SCENO is available in four different versions: in single or double-leaf design, with seven or 14 honeycombs per side. Depending on the version, the light output varies with 2,000, 3,500, 7,000, 8,000 or 14,000 lumens.
Individually customisable
In the three available housing colours of black, white and silver, SCENO blends discreetly into the sales space. Specially developed for supermarkets and retail areas, it takes human perspectives into account. Because the different optics bring light exactly where it is needed: on the shelves and other presentation areas. The luminaire is available in four different light colours (2,700 Kelvin, 3,000 Kelvin, 3,500 Kelvin, 4,000 Kelvin) to emphasise the colours and details of different goods. Especially for the fresh food counter, there is also a MEAT module that authentically brings out red tones of food, does not falsify colours and gives an impression of special freshness.
SCENO also for the office
But SCENO does not only cut a fine figure in retail. This year, SCENO's scope of application was extended to include office spaces, after all, many companies want to bring their employees back to the office. Concepts such as New Work, which rely on open floor plans and variable room layouts, help here. Whether creative in the collaboration zone or concentrated at an individual workstation: SCENO offers a flexible lighting solution that meets changing visual tasks and usage requirements in the office.
If the office design changes, so does the light. SCENO has individually rotatable and swivellable light modules for maximum flexibility. Even more design freedom is provided by combining it with track systems: For workstations, the use of SCENO on a 3-phase track is optimal. In collaboration zones, mounting on SUPERSYSTEM tracks is suitable.
— Sven Scharfe, Product Manager Spotlights at Zumtobel
