IKEA has announced that it is increasing its investment in smart home technology and products.
According to representatives of the company, for the first time work in this direction began in 2015, but now a completely new business unit IKEA Home Smart will be created, which will bring the development of new products and technologies to a whole new level. And this is one of the most significant steps of the company in recent years, after the appearance of the direction for children.
According to Björn Block, who will lead IKEA Home Smart, for IKEA to grow further, it needs to "explore products and solutions beyond conventional home furnishing."
“Working together with all other divisions of the company, IKEA Home Smart will contribute to the digital transformation of the IKEA portfolio, improving and changing existing areas, as well as developing new ones. This will allow to offer more diverse intellectual products for a variety of people. We are just getting started,” adds Bjorn Block.
At the moment, the range of "smart" products from IKEA still cannot boast of a wide variety. So, it includes tables with built-in wireless chargers, smart lamps and smart speakers created in cooperation with Sonos. The company is also gearing up to launch its long-awaited HomeKit smart blinds in the United States. But it is possible that the emergence of a new division will quickly and significantly expand the range of products.
IDC predicts that global sales of smart home products will be around $830 million in 2019 and will double to $1.6 billion by 2023. Not surprisingly, this market is so interested in IKEA.
