- The company has decided to set-up a new business unit that will focus on assimilation of IoT technology and home furniture.
- The move is based on the successful initiation of 2012’s IKEA Home smart project.
The “ready-to-assemble” furniture global giant, Ikea is going to establish a business unit especially for smart home domain. In 2012, the company initiated a project called IKEA Home smart with an aim to integrate IoT technology into its products. Seeing the increasing growth and demand for smart home solutions, the company decided to expand even further.
Peter van der Poel, Manager Ikea Range & Supply said, “We have decided to invest significantly in Home Smart across Ikea to fast-forward the development. This is the biggest new business we are establishing since the introduction of Children’s Ikea.”
Past, present & future offerings
The 2012 IKEA Home smart project helped the company to incorporate several digital elements and technologies into its products and solutions. Successful launches were executed in areas of wireless charging, smart lighting and smart home sound system (in collaboration with the U.S-based consumer electronics company, SONOS).
Besides these, IKEA also created an app for smart lighting called TRÅDFRI (now known as IKEA Home smart app).
“At IKEA we want to continue to offer products for a better life at home for the many people going forward. In order to do so we need to explore products and solutions beyond conventional home furnishing,” says Björn Block, Head of the new IKEA Home smart Business Unit at IKEA Sweden.
He further adds, “By working together with all other departments within IKEA, the business unit of IKEA Home smart will drive the digital transformation of the IKEA range, improving and transforming existing businesses and developing new businesses to bring more diverse smart products to the many people. We are just getting started.”
Keeping in mind the rapid growth in urban population and shrinking living spaces, IKEA earlier this year partnered with the American startup Ori to launch ROGNAN. It is a robotic furniture designed as a small space living solution.
Hasier Larrea, founder and CEO of Ori says,“ We share IKEA’s passion to enable people to make the most of their living spaces, and look forward to helping realize this as we continue to develop living spaces for the next generation.”
The first launch of ROGNAN will be in Hong Kong and Japan next year.
