TRADITION AND POWER FOR THE FUTURE: WE ARE CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF ZUMTOBEL

75 years of Zumtobel. The lighting group is celebrating this anniversary at the place where Dr. Walter Zumtobel founded the company in 1950: The Light Forum in Dornbirn, a former factory hall, is home to the strong brands of the Zumtobel Group today. Here, they showcase their extensive expertise in lighting as well as the latest developments and technologies.

Mrs Zumtobel, how do you feel about this anniversary? 75 years of Zumtobel? Is it a responsibility? An inspiration ...?

Karin Zumtobel: A bit of both. It is a responsibility and joy at the same time. Growing up in Dornbirn, I already got to know the company as a young girl and worked at several trade fairs. Many things were inherent in my upbringing and have always been part of my everyday life. 75 years make me proud, especially considering what has been achieved during this time. We went through many changes – and the fact that we are still here proves that we can handle change and transformation, and that we look to the future with optimism.

Alfred Felder: What has made the company successful is still valid: the unconditional aspiration to design innovative lighting solutions for tomorrow. We have gone through a number of technological changes – the development towards electronics, towards LED. This is not always an easy task to tackle for a company. And that is why I am truly proud and grateful that we managed all these changes successfully. At the same time, it also entails a responsibility to keep up the success and shape the future. In this context, the Zumtobel family, as a core shareholder and with a great interest in technology and innovation, makes a significant contribution insofar as it is possible for the Management Board to think strategically and in the long term.

Mrs Zumtobel, do you think your grandfather would feel comfortable in the company the way it is today?

Karin Zumtobel: I think he would be very satisfied to see how true we have stayed to his vision. The important criteria are still the same: We focus on innovation. My grandfather was an engineer himself. Insofar, technological advances are still a major topic. We strive for top quality and value open collaboration. We have stayed true to our roots. Everyone in the company feels that.

Technology keeps advancing continuously. How do you approach lighting solutions in view of a sustainable transformation?

Alfred Felder: We have always focused on energy efficiency, for both our products and our solutions. Now, material aspects are also playing an increasingly important role when it comes to circular design closing loops. We generally invest in holistic solutions, taking the entire life cycle into account. Consequently, we also always invest in future projects.

Karin Zumtobel: This way, we help our customers reduce their carbon footprint with the solutions we offer. And we remain a key innovation driver for sustainability, even after 75 years. Our claim is: thinking ahead. Which functionality could be in demand in ten years? We want future-proof products.

And material cycles are part of the design from the outset?

Alfred Felder: When designing new products, we do make sure that key elements can be replaced and can always be upgraded to the state of the art. Existing components are returned to the material cycle wherever possible. This way, our customers will always have efficient products. And this added value has a direct impact on them.

Light art has always been important to Zumtobel. How come?

Karin Zumtobel: First of all, it’s a personal interest of my father and the whole family. Then we decided very early as a brand to approach architects who look at a building holistically and care of the effect the lighting has on the building and its architecture. And it quickly became clear that the earlier we enter into the dialogue, the better the solutions we can develop together for a project. Special highlights include projects like currently the children’s hospital in Zurich with work by James Turrell. There you experience how light changes spaces and situations. It is installations of this kind, together with architects or artists, that have always inspired us and helped us to evolve continuously.

Does this mean that art has also been a pacemaker for technological development?

Karin Zumtobel: Absolutely. Light artists and architects challenge us extremely: They seek perfection. They want to create an impact. This is how unique pieces or special products made in small numbers are created.

Alfred Felder: It’s a little like Formula 1. First, companies test new technologies and then show that it works. We also pack all of our knowledge, our experience and our engineering know-how into such projects to create something perfect, sometimes something completely new. You learn a lot when you work on high-end applications and great challenges. We create light solutions beyond the standard.

Karin Zumtobel: That is why we offer architects, planners and developers solutions that create visible added value.

Alfred Felder: Yes, we often have to balance architectural desires and technical feasibility. But it is exactly these challenges that motivate us again and again to make the seemingly impossible possible.

Which qualities distinguish your employees? What would you say fits the corporate culture?

Karin Zumtobel: I would say: they are curious, open ...

Alfred Felder: ... flexible. And we all share a passion for light. There is hardly a more beautiful product than light: highly emotional and sophisticated. The technology behind it is very broad, from mechanics and optics to design, electronics and software. The mix of different talents and also the interaction between different cultures is what we stand for and what keeps us flexible.

Karin Zumtobel: This way, we can also tackle the next 75 years, because we pass on the essence of what Zumtobel is about. With our profound knowledge, committed employees and partners and the high demands we place on ourselves. We want people to get together at our company in order to create new things and to contribute our share to a positive future.

That means that innovation will go on and on …

Alfred Felder: LEDs still have a lot of potential to offer. We are in the process of becoming part of the building infrastructure, being compatible with other systems in the building. We see that many things in a building connect vertically – and we want to be part of this development. Plus, service will be crucial in the future. At some point, the moment will come when we will probably generate more revenue by providing service.

Karin Zumtobel: We have to keep our finger on the pulse of time and be open to new things. And we have to remain open to share our know-how so we can play a bigger part in shaping the future together.