Kamil Maciejczyk, General Manager of the Zumtobel Group in Poland, is interviewed by A&B editors.
Kamil Maciejczyk, General Manager of Zumtobel Group in Poland
Photo: © Zumtobel Group
A&B: The 30th anniversary of Zumtobel Group in Poland is a special event. What key moments in the company's history had the greatest impact on its position in the market?
Kamil Maciejczyk: The past three decades have helped to build solid recognition for both brands that make up the Zumtobel Group. I mention this because the Zumtobel Group is not only the well-known Zumtobel brand, but also Thorn. And it was the acquisition of Thorn in 2000 that was one of the key moments that allowed us to better customize our offerings.
The Zumtobel brand stands for innovative, timeless design, excellent lighting quality and a sustainable approach to design. It stimulates the imagination, stirs emotions and creates spaces that inspire.
Thorn, on the other hand, stands out for its excellent value for money, offering both indoor and outdoor lighting. It is a brand highly committed to environmental protection. One example is its NightTune technology, which helps protect dark skies.
It is certainly of great importance to the company's development that from the very beginning we have been striving to minimize our impact on the environment. This is at the core of the Zumtobel Group's strategy and is reflected in all of its activities. It affects both the way we design our solutions and the production process. Our goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2025 (based on Scope 1 and Scope 2 Green House Protocol). This includes direct emissions generated by our operations, but also emissions from electricity consumption, generated heat or cooling.
At the same time, we are already thinking about Scope 3 in relation to our business partners, i.e. the emissions that cover our supply chains both on the supply side of materials and components, as well as the emissions generated by our customers.
One of the key moments recently, especially in the local market, was the implementation of a new strategy that allowed us to achieve the highest turnover in the company's history in the past calendar year, while increasing our market share.
A&B: You mentioned sustainable solution design. What innovative technologies is the Zumtobel Group implementing to minimize the environmental impact of its products?
Kamil Maciejczyk: In this case, the most important element is not technologies, but a design methodology in accordance with theCircular Design Rules (hereafter CDR). Since 2021, we have been applying this methodology in the design of all our new products.
One example is Zumtobel 's ARTELEA freestanding luminaire, designed in accordance with CDR, which was certified Cradle to Cradle Certified® Bronze in 2023. The luminaire is composed of 21% recycled materials and is 83% recyclable at the end of its life cycle. This is a milestone for our company in terms of a closed-loop economy.
In sustainability, we also pay attention to the emotional value of our lighting solutions. Designed according to biophilic design principles, our products influence people's well-being, creating spaces that support health, concentration and creativity.
A&B: What technological innovations and new products do you plan to launch in the near future?
Kamil Maciejczyk: We are focusing on quality of light and innovative solutions. Technologies such as Zumtobel Spectrum and TunableWhite allow us to offer light close to natural light. We are also looking for new solutions that offer additional value, such as improved acoustic comfort. In modern interiors with materials like concrete, glass and steel, providing good acoustics is a challenge. That's why we're introducing solutions like TRAMAO and PANOS acoustic versions, which combine high light quality and energy efficiency with acoustic comfort.
We also continue the trend we have always been faithful to: we create timeless, sophisticated and high-quality lighting solutions that are not a short-lived fad and will not lose their relevance even after years. Hence our cooperation with the Italian design studio Pininfarina, with whom we are developing the next generation of the TECTON linear lighting system. I am pleased to say that the result of this cooperation will be available as early as next year.
IZURA concept luminaire
Photo: © Zumtobel Group
IZURA concept luminaire
Photo: © Zumtobel Group
IZURA concept luminaire
photo: © Zumtobel Group
In contrast, our latest concept luminaire, IZURA, addresses the need to personalize the interior. It is also a product aimed at customers for whom environmental concerns play an important role. IZURA combines several breakthrough future technologies in one unique lighting fixture, and its sustainable concept is based on a modular product design that requires no welding or gluing. It uses degradable biocomposites and recyclable steel sheet. Thanks to the use of digital color printing, IZURA can be personalized and precisely tailored to the requirements, needs and taste of each customer. IZURA's design was recognized by the Red Dot Award jury and it was awarded in the "Design Concept" category. As an interesting fact, I can tell you that each piece of IZURA luminaire comes with a Digital Product Passport.
A&B: What directions of development and innovation does the Zumtobel Group plan for the Polish market?
Kamil Maciejczyk: We are enthusiastic about the future of the Polish market, especially in the context of the growing interest in sustainable development and smart lighting technologies.
We are increasingly involved in projects where the origin of the products, their environmental impact and the requirement to provide EPD product environmental declarations are important parameters. In the coming years, we will focus our efforts on several key areas.
We will certainly continue our sustainability strategy, aiming to minimize the environmental impact of our products. We also plan to further refine the principles of a closed-loop economy in product design.
Our differentiator, however, has always been technological advancement. We do not intend to rest on our laurels in this regard, and we will consistently expand, including in the area of smart lighting solutions, including control systems and IoT-based solutions. One example is the recently unveiled KEYTURE. This modular, multifunctional software package is based on smart sensors and offers solutions that maximize energy reduction (control), provide the necessary information for maintenance and monitoring of sustainability goals (reporting), real-time space optimization (viewing) and object identification and tracking (localization). All this using luminaires manufactured by the Zumtobel Group.
As you can see, the amount of additional functionality that can be obtained using lighting infrastructure is enormous.
An important part of our development is to strengthen cooperation with local Partners, such as architects, designers and developers. We want to better respond to the specific needs of the Polish market, taking into account local trends and requirements, especially in terms of energy efficiency and aesthetics.
We are very pleased that the Group recognizes the strategic importance of the Polish market, which is the largest and most important in the CEE region, and supports us in strengthening our position by providing our customers with innovative, efficient, sustainable and yet competitively priced lighting solutions. We are confident that our development plans will contribute to the continued growth and success of the Zumtobel Group in Poland.
A&B: What are you most proud of as a company operating in the Polish market?
Kamil Maciejczyk: We are most proud of our team, which is key to our development. It is worth noting that many people who remember the Group's beginnings in Poland are still working with us, which is extremely valuable for our company and business relations. We are also pleased that new employees are joining us, appreciating us as a good employer who supports professional development. The quality of our products, designed to the highest standards of performance and durability, is also something we are proud of.
Goszcz Palace, illuminated by Zumtobel Group
photo: © Zumtobel group
A&B: What values and realizations distinguish Zumtobel Group in the Polish market? Can you share some interesting projects from recent years?
Kamil Maciejczyk: As I have already mentioned, we are particularly pleased that we ended the past calendar year by achieving a record level of sales. At the same time, we are proud of the diversity of our implementations. This broad portfolio of solutions, which includes products from both brands (Zumtobel and Thorn), allows us to carry out projects in a variety of applications: industry, commerce, cultural and art buildings, hotel facilities, outdoor lighting, illumination, healthcare and education.
Examples of our projects includethe modernization of exhibition halls at the Kielce Trade Fair, the illumination of the Collegiate Church in Stargard Szczeciński and the Goszcz Palace, and the implementation of a comprehensive lighting project for The Park office building in Warsaw.
For more information, visit the company's ZG Lighting Polska sp. z o.o. page on the A&B portal.
