Lighting

Cities are complex ecosystems that must be run efficiently to function well—and they are growing fast. According to the United Nations, by 2050 the number of urban residents will reach 6.2 billion, 66% of the projected global population.

Digital technologies are re-engineering how industry works, channeling the power of the cloud into the Internet of Things (IoT), and revolutionizing how we experience and interact with everything around us.

One of the greatest challenges discussed by delegates at Davos in recent times has been how to decouple economic growth from increased energy consumption. After the two hottest years on record, the environmental and economic imperative is now greater than ever before.

Mike Simpson, Global Application Lead: "Clubs can add entertainment to the stadium experience, which is stunning. LED is flicker free."

Today, everything aspires to be smart: from the ubiquitous—the smartphone in your hand—to sometimes the ridiculous (Google Glass, Fitbit for dogs, Lily the selfie drone). But, if we want our future to be smarter, we need to start thinking beyond "smart for smart's sake" now.

Eric Rondolat, CEO: "To make a city smart, you need connected streetlights, smart homes and smart buildings with connected lighting, such as offices, industry, retail environments, and hospitals."

Today, Philips Lighting is the undisputed leader in sports, providing floodlighting for 55% of the world's largest soccer stadiums, 70% of the UK's Premier League clubs, and a host of other major venues.

For WEF participants gathering in the glittering conference halls of Davos it may be hard to imagine, but over one billion people around the world still do not have access to electric light.