SWEDEN – IKEA has taken the strategic decision to invest more in the home smart area by establishing Ikea Home Smart as a business unit within Ikea of Sweden.

“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,” says Peter van der Poel, Manager IKEA Range & Supply.

Since the beginning in 2012, IKEA Home smart was set out as a project to enrich all aspects of IKEA by incorporating digital elements and technologies into products and solutions. Launches within the product areas of wireless charging, smart lighting and just recently smart sound at home together with SONOS are all examples of the success to do so. Besides that IKEA has also created an own eco system and app for smart lighting first introduced as TRÅDFRI, and in June changed name to IKEA Home smart app.

Besides this IKEA has established great relationships with major digital companies and has become a recognized player in the space of smart homes and innovation. In order to grasp the full potential and utilize opportunities connected to life at home IKEA has decided to invest further and scale up with this new Business Unit IKEA Home smart.

“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,” ends Björn Block, Head of the new IKEA Home smart Business Unit at IKEA of Sweden.