Austria: EIB supports Zumtobel Group in the development of innovative lighting solutions

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• The specialist lighting company will receive a €50 million loan for research and development.
• The funding strengthens the company`s innovation activities for the development of intelligent and innovative products

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €50 million loan to the Zumtobel Group to boost its research and development of innovative lighting solutions. The funding will support R&D projects in the lighting group’s EU locations that are planned for the next three financial years, with a total budget of €191 million.

The R&D-projects will develop smart components for indoor and outdoor lighting systems and will create innovative and energy-efficient lighting solutions for smart buildings and cities. All the projects focus on energy efficiency and connectivity, supporting EU sustainability and digitalisation objectives. The EIB is a long-term financing partner of the Zumtobel Group, which is based in Dornbirn, Austria. Since 2018, the EU-bank has helped strengthen the company’s innovation capacity and financing position.

“Our partnership with the Zumtobel Group supports innovation, and will accelerate the green transition in Austria,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “This project demonstrates how EIB financing can help a company grow, while also contributing to digitalisation objectives and climate action.”

As explained by Zumtobel Group CFO Thomas Erath, “In a world of digital transformation, innovative products are the engine of long-term success. As a lighting business with a global reach, we are making targeted investments to develop pioneering solutions for the future, especially at our research sites in the EU. The €50 million in financing from the EIB will help us to consolidate our position as a driver of innovation in our sector and to remain among Austria’s most innovative companies.”

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.