Research & Development
Expenditures for research and development (R&D) include expenses recognised to the income statement as well as capitalised development costs. In accordance with its goal to also expand the outstanding technology position of the Zumtobel Group in less favourable economic times, expenses for research and development were increased by 9.5% to EUR 52.1 million in 2009/10. Energy efficiency and LEDs remain the primary focal points of R&D activities in the Zumtobel Group. The significance of R&D and the Group’s innovation culture is also reflected in the funds spent on these activities, which rose from 4.1% to 4.7% of revenues for the reporting year.
Competitive advantages thanks to sustainability in Research & Development
In product development the brands constantly strive to exceed the requirements of technical standards. Zumtobel opened its first lighting laboratory as long ago as 1959 in order to test the photometric properties of its independently and rapidly designed luminaires. Now there are lighting laboratories at almost all of the Group's sites. They are used by both Zumtobel and Thorn.
Application of Lean Six Sigma management methodology demands continuous improvement in corporate procedures. Consequently, Research & Development in the Zumtobel Group is also process-oriented. The Thorn and Zumtobel brands also make use of the Design for Six Sigma "voice of the customer" (VOC) tool. In this way, the two brands derive measurable, critical-to-quality (CTQ) product features for product development from workshops with potential customers and users and employ them as the basis for the development and industrialisation of innovative products.
LEDs and energy efficiency - major research activities in the 2009/10 financial year
Zumtobel
Development activities at the Zumtobel brand in the reporting year focused on the new Panos Infinity downlight series that bundles all the advantages of LED technology and is more efficient than standard solutions with compact fluorescent lamps, as well as on the Discus spotlight, which can now be manufactured in a shape and size not possible with conventional lamp technology. Other new arrivals at the Zumtobel brand include the recessed luminaire series Mellow Light V; LED variants for the spotlight series Arcos and Vivo; and the Valuea and Eleea luminaire series based on T5 lamps, which set new standards in terms of ergonomics and efficiency.
Thorn
The 2009/10 financial year also saw the Thorn brand bring out a new version of its classic PopPack lighting strip, complete with a new, unequalled, fast assembly technique. Other focus areas in indoor lighting included the new flat luminaire Menlo³, also offered as an LED option; the Equline system luminaire; and new LED models of the proven Quattro, Planor and Cruz series. In the outdoor lighting sector, Styled represents the first LED streetlight to meet all the requirements of official standards, with sophisticated technology that also makes it suitable for wider streets. Atla, by contrast, provides efficient, high-quality white light for illuminating narrower roads and side streets. The proven Oracle range was extended to include a more compact size for modern high-pressure lamps, while a version based on a high-performance LED module was added to the Dyana series.
In all, the Thorn and Zumtobel brands applied for 73 new patents in the 2009/10 financial year.
Tridonic
R&D activities at Tridonic continued to focus on energy-efficient and environmentally compatible lighting technology. With xitec, a processor technology developed by Tridonic, the brand can develop future-oriented, intelligent control gear with high functionality and energy efficiency. Tridonic has now based its entire portfolio of electronic control gear for fluorescent lamps, high-pressure discharge lamps and emergency lighting units on xitec processor technology. At the same time, by means of optimum thermal management the brand has been able to cut energy losses in non-dimmable ballasts, as well.
TALEXX LED products from Tridonic guarantee top quality with respect to luminosity, homogeneity and consistent colour reproduction. The broad-based and extensive TALEXXconverter range of LED control gear for indoor and outdoor applications was enlarged during the reporting year to include a whole new family.
Tridonic applied for a total of 67 new patents (2008/09: 60) during the past financial year.
Close cooperation with universities and research organisations
In addition to its independent R&D activities, the Zumtobel Group works closely together with universities and research institutions to promote sustainable innovation processes.
In 2003, the Zumtobel Group co-founded Kompetenzzentrum Licht (K-Licht), a centre of lighting expertise in Innsbruck, Austria, in which it has since played an active part. The centre's 31 projects complement each other in subject matter, build upon one another in terms of content or over time and extend from basic industrial research up to demonstration projects. The research results are applied in tunnel installations, in urban spaces, in building services technology, in the use of daylight and in the use of LEDs for general-purpose lighting.
Further research priorities are LEDs and the effect of light on humans. For example, from 2007 to 2009, the Zumtobel brand participated in a joint study with K-Licht and other partners in a care home for dementia sufferers. Over 15 months, various dynamic lighting scenarios were investigated in the course of the day. The outcome was that high levels of light can improve the circadian rhythms of elderly people. This is particularly the case for people in need of care who have no regular access to natural daylight.
In addition to its ongoing internal activities relating to LEDs, the Zumtobel Group is also investing in OLEDs, the LED technology of the future. To this end, in autumn 2009, the Group founded the joint venture "Ledon OLED Lighting GmbH & Co. KG" together with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and members of staff from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) in Dresden.
The Group is also participating in the GBP 3.3 million "Thin Organic Polymeric Light Emitting Semi-conducting Surfaces" (TOPLESS) project involving Thorn Lighting UK, Sumation UK and Durham University. The first prototypes of this next generation of lighting were presented during the 2008/09 financial year. These small prototypes were tested at the new Printable Electronics Technology Centre (PETeC) in Sedgefield, UK. The products are expected to reach market maturity in around nine years.
The EU-funded "SmartCoDe" project involves the development of an IT-controlled energy management system which is primarily intended to reduce energy consumption in smaller buildings and neighbourhoods. The intention is to develop CO2-neutral local power grids. The project started in January 2010 in the "ICT support to energy-positive buildings and neighbourhoods" topic of the ICT-2009 programme and is planned to last three years. Tridonic is contributing its expertise in the area of lighting and building automation.
Active participation in standardisation
Over the period from 2004 to 2008, a joint study with the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) was carried out to compare measured energy consumption with the energy consumption calculated to DIN V 18599. The findings are used in calculating energy requirements, not least for lighting under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
The Zumtobel Group is also committed to the "Zhaga" initiative to create standard specifications for LED module interfaces. The aim is to define the physical, photometric, electrical and thermal behaviour of LED modules and so create industry-wide standards and help LEDs to break through on a large scale. The founding meeting took place in March 2010. Together with seven other companies from the lighting industry, the Zumtobel Group is a founder member.
