EIB Loan Fuels Zumtobel’s Push for Smart and Sustainable Lighting Innovation

EIB Loan Fuels Zumtobel’s Push for Smart and Sustainable Lighting Innovation

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €50 million loan to the Zumtobel Group to advance its research and development of innovative lighting solutions, focusing on energy-efficient and connected technologies for smart buildings and cities. With a total R&D budget of €191 million over the next three years, the projects aim to align with the EU’s sustainability and digitalization goals. This funding underscores Zumtobel’s position as a leader in lighting innovation and strengthens its financial capabilities to drive progress in smart lighting systems.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 11-Dec-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a €50 million loan to the Zumtobel Group, bolstering the Austrian lighting company’s research and development efforts. This funding will underpin the development of innovative and energy-efficient lighting solutions over the next three financial years, with the R&D program budgeted at €191 million. The initiative focuses on advancing intelligent components for indoor and outdoor lighting systems, contributing to the creation of smart buildings and cities.

The projects, centered around energy efficiency and connectivity, align with the EU’s sustainability and digitalization objectives. With its headquarters in Dornbirn, Austria, the Zumtobel Group has maintained a strong partnership with the EIB since 2018. This collaboration has not only enhanced the company’s innovation capabilities but also strengthened its financial foundation for sustainable growth.

EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros highlighted the significance of the partnership, stating, “Our collaboration with the Zumtobel Group is a testament to how EIB financing can support both innovation and climate action. This project will accelerate Austria’s green transition while advancing digitalization goals.”

Thomas Erath, CFO of the Zumtobel Group, echoed the importance of this investment: “In the era of digital transformation, innovative products drive long-term success. As a globally operating lighting company, we are committed to investing strategically in pioneering solutions, especially at our research facilities in the EU. This €50 million loan from the EIB reinforces our position as a leader in lighting innovation and one of Austria’s most forward-thinking companies.”

By enabling the Zumtobel Group to expand its R&D activities, this funding will play a critical role in shaping the future of smart, sustainable lighting technologies.

Background information

The ElB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by the Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality. Last year the EIB Group, which also contains the European Investment Fund, signed a total of €88 billion in financing, of which €1.26 billion went to Austria. Over half of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects that contribute directly to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a healthier environment.

Zumtobel Group AG

The Zumtobel Group is an international lighting group and a leading supplier of innovative lighting solutions, lighting components and associated services. With its brands Thorn, Tridonic and Zumtobel, the Group offers its customers around the world a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The Group’s know-how about the effects of light on people, acquired over decades, forms the basis for the development of innovations and for accessing new fields of business. In the lighting business, the Group with its Thorn and Zumtobel brands, is one of the European market leaders. Through its lighting technology brand, Tridonic, the Zumtobel Group plays a leading role worldwide in the manufacture of hardware and software for lighting systems (LED light sources and LED drivers, sensors and lighting management). The Zumtobel Group’s service offering is one of the most comprehensive in the entire lighting industry, including consultation on smart lighting controls and emergency lighting systems, light contracting, design services and project management of turnkey lighting solutions, as well as new, data-based services focused on delivering connectivity for buildings and municipalities via the lighting infrastructure. The Group is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange (ATX Prime) and currently holds a workforce of around 5,300 employees. In the 2023/24 financial year, the Group posted revenues of €1,127.0 million. The Zumtobel Group is based in Dornbirn in the Vorarlberg region of Austria.

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Donata Riedel
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+352 4379 – 86192

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank