BIG technology trends at IFA Berlin are connectivity, sustainability and smart living. A tour of the product innovations from Siemens, Miele, Bosch and Panasonic showed some examples of these trends.
“Europe is very advanced in acting on sustainability and therefore is a key region to spearhead our environmental agenda. To embed the sustainability mission into our business strategy, the Panasonic Group has launched 'Green Impact,' a strategic vision which outlines our commitment and actions to 'Net Zero' by 2050,” explains Masahiro Shinada, president and CEO of Panasonic Corp. With its Green Impact plan (GIP), Panasonic aims to contribute to tackling environmental issues, focusing specifically on massive carbon reductions and circular economy. Panasonic's commitment to sustainability with its two focal points carbon neutrality and circular economy is shown at their IFA booth in the hall “HUB27,” which covers over 5,000 square meters.
Faced with the climate crisis and increasing energy prices, the responsible use of energy is more urgently needed than ever before. Miele supports its customers in making their machines to become even more environmentally friendly facilitated by a Consumption Dashboard in the app, machines linked to solar technology and by Miele's involvement in an international research project. The free-standing refrigerators from the K 4000 series with their innovative PerfectFresh Active system is their contribution towards reducing food waste. With the combination of a temperature of around zero degrees and a fine mist of water, the refrigerator could keep vegetables and fruit crisp and attractive for up to five times longer. Improved smart cooking assistants and recipe apps and intelligent energy management, ensure more sustainability in the household.
At the trade fair booth, Siemens Home took its inspiration from New York's High Line Park, merging large expanses of green with generous spaces ideal for a leisurely stroll. It lined the route with new products, showcases, stages and bars. The brand is exhibiting the first uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in the kitchen and unveiling its new generation of iQ700 ovens. Other highlights include the first refrigerator to open its door in response to a voice command and an “intelligent kitchen,” a futuristic application scenario that could already be implemented today in any household. Coffee connoisseurs will enjoy the EQ900 fully automatic espresso machine, where perfectly brewed coffee could be prepared at a tap on the touch screen. The beanIdent technology automatically identifies the optimal settings for all brewing parameters for the coffee bean the user has chosen. For those who want easy access to excellent coffee or who first want to get a feel for personalizing their beverage, the EQ900 is equipped with the comfortMode. Thanks to aromaBoost and intelligent strength adjustment, the EQ900 will brew perfect coffee — all controlled by the intelligent technology inside.
Indoor gardening gained a lot of attention, as it brings a piece of nature into the home. With the innovative indoor gardening solution SmartGrow Life, Bosch has made a healthy lifestyle not only easy and fun but also eye-catching — while keeping the environment in mind. The hydroponics technology employed by the device allows gardeners to get the best growing results in the smallest of spaces, including the option of mounting the SmartGrow Life on a wall. With an imposing green SmartGrow Life vertical garden, Bosch showed how smart, simple, sustainable and beautiful living with indoor gardening could be. With this hydroponic system, no soil is needed. The auto-optimized light and irrigation technology automatically adjusts itself depending on the growth state of the plant. A water level sensor lets indoor gardeners know when it's time to water their plants — from germination to harvest. More than 50 plant varieties are available in SmartGrow.
Despite pandemic restrictions still in place in some parts of the world, this year's IFA Berlin hosted more than 1,100 manufacturers and brands from 46 countries — making it one of the largest tech events of the year at 151,000 sqm. I will share more highlights in my next column on the new generation of technology for the post-pandemic future.