Gifam, the French Association of home appliance industry, unveils an initial assessment on the repairability index, mandatory in France on front-loading washing machines since 1 January 2021. For household appliances, the repairability index is the first effective indicator that informs consumers about the effective repairability of some home appliances.

Nearly 1,000 references were calculated and sent to retailers and distributors on front-loading washing machines only. To date, the washing machines of manufacturers who are members of Gifam have obtained an average of 7.2 out of 10 with scores varying from 5.1 to 8.8 out of 10, thus allowing a good comparison of products with each other. Since 1 January 2021, the repairability index has been mandatory in France for 5 pilot product categories.

«This index is a unique device in the world. We are convinced that it is a first effective tool to improve the information delivered to consumers. The heterogeneity of the scores delivered over almost 1000 references shows that we are going in the right direction. It is a tool of reliable comparison for consumers – said Camille Beurdeley, General Delegate from Gifam -. We are continuing the work undertaken and the reflections on the evolution of criteria with the public authorities and the various stakeholders, for the extension of the the repairability index to vacuum cleaners, dishwashers and top-loading washing machines».

Daikin Industries has been included in the “A List” compiled by CDP, an international non-profit organization that promotes and performs activities asking companies and local governments to disclose information on environmental issues, such as climate change, water security, and forest conservation, based on requests for information from global institutional investors with a high interest in environmental issues.

The organization collects, analyzes, and evaluates information concerning the environmental activities of major global companies and annually selects the companies most distinguished for their climate change initiatives and information disclosure for its “Climate Change A List.” For this fiscal year, CDP evaluated 12,000 companies and selected the top 200 global companies, including 55 Japanese companies.

Daikin provides products and services around the world that utilize environmental technologies. Its main business of air conditioning helps improve the health and productivity of people as part of social infrastructure that contributes to economic development, but the widespread use of air conditioning also increases electrical power consumption, which impacts global warming. To promote business growth while also mitigating impact to climate change, Daikin established its “Environment Vision 2050,” which aims for net zero greenhouse gas emissions from company business activities in 2050.

To achieve this, the company has set forth an interim target reduction of 50% for 2030 that is calculated by comparing business-as-usual (BAU) emissions using fiscal year 2019 as the base year. In addition to measures at the production stage and the development and increase of environmentally conscious products, Daikin confronts the entire value chain including the building of a refrigerant recovery and reclamation system in the market.

Valcucine will support a world very important annual international architectural event: the 2021 edition of the World Architecture Festival. It will be a digital event with three days of live conference programmes (1-3 December 2021), awards, and fringe events, with talks by leading global architectural thinkers and industry personalities – live-streamed exclusively to festival delegates.

Among the latest news of Valcucine, the Italian company presented the Symposium dining table. It is characterized by neat and floating volumes, becoming the ideal furniture component to complement a Valcucine kitchen.

«Flight and lightness – the company said – Valcucine principles key to its philosophy and design,express themselves through an evocative and graceful language made up of thin lines and sleek forms. The possibility to mix Wood, Tech Ceramic and Vitrum – through its different combinations of Gloss and Matt Vitrum, Graphic Vitrum, Vitrum Mimesis, Tactile Vitrum and Vitrum Arte – on each component of the table, allows to create compositions with a personalized textured and chromatic effect».

«Maytag believes dependability starts with ensuring that all Americans have access to their most basic needs, and having access to healthy and nourishing food is one of the most important needs of children – says Kelly Roche, brand manager for Maytag -. We’re delighted to help provide children with this access by placing our Feel Good Fridges at the Boys & Girls Clubs, proudly expanding on our nearly 20-year relationship with the organization.»

The Maytag® Feel Good Fridge program in collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, will place Maytag® refrigerators in select Boys & Girls Clubs in underserved communities across the country. The purpose-driven initiative is launching with ten fridges with a goal to be in 30 Clubs by early 2022, to help create thriving communities that children and their families can consistently depend on.

In addition to providing the refrigerators, Maytag is providing Boys & Girls Clubs of America with a small grant to help fill the Feel Good Fridges with healthy food. The Clubs will also leverage their local relationships to keep the fridges full of healthy options for kids and their families. It’s estimated that each Maytag® Feel Good Fridge will help provide healthy food to an estimated 130 Club kids each day. Club kids and teens will customize the fridge with Maytag decals, which suggest healthy food choices and healthy eating tips to support Boys and Girls Clubs’ existing Healthy Habits curriculum.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) included Arçelik’s Eskişehir refrigerator plant into its “Global Lighthouse Network,” which recognizes leaders in utilizing Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. It has joined the ranks of the world’s most advanced manufacturing plants, following in the footsteps of Arçelik’s washing machine plant in Ulmi, Romania, and Ford Otosan Kocaeli Plant, both of which were named “Global Lighthouses” in 2018.

Since 2018, the Global Lighthouse Network list has admitted just 90 manufacturing plants to date and these have been selected among more than a thousand candidates. «At Koç Group – said Koç Holding CEO Levent Çakıroğlu – we are focused on increasing our competitiveness, improving our technology and innovation capabilities while managing our business through a global lens. We see digital transformation as a key component of our cultural transformation program».

Çakıroğlu also underlined the significant investments made in digitalization. «Today – he said – our Arçelik Eskişehir Refrigerator Plant – the biggest large-volume refrigerator production facility in Europe, which started production in 1975 – has been selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the world’s leading Industry 4.0 plants. This prestigious global recognition is much deserved thanks to investments in digitalization, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robot and sensor technologies and other exemplary technological practices. I’d like to thank all of my colleagues for helping achieve such a significant success that made us proud.»

Electrolux published an open letter to today’s youth, inviting them to join forces with the company and the most influential change-makers to explore solutions for future sustainable homes. The aim is to learn more about young people’s hopes, dreams and concerns, to be able to provide solutions responding their needs. The company targets for 2030 are based on a more sustainable living around the world, involving young minds from across the globe aiming to drive positive change, and leading change-makers and experts already making a difference today.

«We want to listen to those who will be starting up their own homes in the near future – explaines Jonas Samuelson, ceo of Electrolux -. What are their hopes and dreams when they think about their lives ten years from now? Their desires, choices and behaviors will play a critical role in shaping the evolution of better living. We want those who own the future to be part of defining it. Therefore, we take the opportunity to ask now – to be able to provide solutions tailored to their needs, come 2030».

As part of the same initiative, Electrolux will conduct a global survey in which almost 14.000 young people between the ages 15 to 20 will be asked about how they envision their future sustainable homes. Insights from the survey and the sessions with the change-makers will be used by Electrolux in its strive to create new innovations for a better living.

According to GfK, the global Technical Consumer Goods (TCG) industry has inched back to 799 billion dollar (excluding North America), which is a 2% in the full year. Smart product segments performed better than average, resulting in a revival of 24% to 28 billion dollar across EU7 markets (Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium). The products recording the best performance have been alert detectors, robot vacuum cleaners and cooking ranges. Sales of voice-controlled products saw explosive growth of almost 61% in 2020, making them one of the best sellers of the year. Overall TCG delivered a V-shaped recovery, with the developed world experiencing a much stronger revival as consumers invested in their homes. «The pandemic is certainly fast-tracking digitization in our homes – GfK explains – The focus on home as headquarters is driving demand for tech goods. Restricted to working and studying at home and prevented from travel and outdoor leisure, consumers turned to indoor options. This delivered good growth of 19 percent for Smart Entertainment & Office products across EU7 markets.» Morever, according to GfK, TVs claimed a significant portion of that value uptick but sales of smart headsets increased over 100% in 2020. Looking at 2021, in week 7 (w/c February 8) this category continues to enjoy high demand at 54%. GfK expects this appetite to continue throughout the year. The pandemic also spotlighted health and hygiene which catapulted the Smart Small Domestic Appliances (SDA) and Smart Health Sector (i.e. vacuum cleaner, personal diagnostics, fitness trackers, wrist sport computers) to growth. This was the fastest growing segment across EU7* with +41% increase. Smart vacuum cleaners by 43% in value terms. Smart cooking also saw a strong grew by 71.5% percent. According to GfK’s new Market Intelligence Smart Home Report covering total smart home and individual sector views, in 2020, Germany and Great Britain were the biggest markets by value for smart products. The Netherlands led the growth with an increase of 44percent in value. However, smart growth was concentrated: two thirds (66 percent) of the total smart segments value rises originated from Entertainment and Office sector. Smart penetration in other sectors remained much lower.

Polti has launched Sani System, its patented steam sanitization solution developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Pavia. This device is dedicated to the disinfection of environments at risk of biological contamination, killing up to 99.999% of viruses germs, bacteria, fungi and spores (tests are published on the company website). Saturated, dry and superheated steam up to 180 ° C acts in a few seconds and is ideal for frequent disinfections throughout the day. Dispensing does not involve contact with surfaces and there is no need for drying with another implement. The steam wraps and disinfects all surfaces, including fabrics and objects, even those with complex geometry. Thanks to the range of models available, Polti offers solutions for different enviroment, such as offices and professional studios, shoppimg malls and clothing stores, dentists and helthcare practices, hairdressers and beauty salons.

An important recognition was assigned to Olimpia Splendid for its new 17.9 cm slim fan radiator, awarded with the Archiproducts Design Awards. The winner is the Bi2 model designed in collaboration with the Ercoli + Garlandini studio. The jury – made up of numerous international studios of architecture, communication agencies, journalists and architectural photographers – evaluated over 750 candidate products from all over the world, rewarding the best solutions that have distinguished themselves for originality, innovation and experimentation.
The design of Bi2 Air Slim is signed by Ercoli + Garlandini – former authors of the Bi2 Air ultraslim – and maintains the most popular features of its predecessor, to ensure the entire range a distinctive and unique family feeling. The monobloc front body simplifies the installation phase and makes maintenance easier. The double motorized flap covering the grids and the integrated touch controls make the product extremely elegant to look at, generous in the delivery of its power and easy to manage. 
«We are proud of this award – commented Marco Saccone, Chief Executive Officer of Olimpia Splendid -, because the new Bi2 Air was a project that went beyond aesthetics, introducing a standard to the market that did not exist before. We had already done it in the past with ultra slim 12.9 cm fan coils, creating this type of innovative terminals in the residential context. We did it again in 2020, expanding the range with these new models. We are in fact convinced that the demand for elegant, powerful and slim fan coils will be the new trend even outside the residential sector. This award is a further recognition of our commitment to always innovate and guarantee efficient and sustainable comfort.»

Next week will be the IFA 2020 week. Despite all the difficulties of this year, the event organization wanted to renew its presence in a new format conceived to held the Fair in a safe way. The Special Edition will take place in Berlin from September 3 to 5 with keynotes, press conferences, conventions and product exhibitions attended by international brands, companies from the mobility sector and start-ups.
«In our discussions with industry, retailers and media representatives – said Dirk Koslowski, IFA Director we could sense the excitement about the upcoming show. It is our ability and our strong will to help the industry and trade to present new products and innovations and reach consumers. As a long-standing trade fair organizer, we are convinced that our concept of the IFA 2020 Special Edition will enable all partners a successful and safe participation.»
Among the exhibitors in the event areas IFA NEXT meets SHIFT Mobility and the IFA Global Press Conference have confirmed their participation: Ataraina / Creative Technology, AVM, Bissell, Bleu Jour, BSH, ECOVACS, GN Hearing, Haier, HONOR, Huawei, JVC Kenwood, Miele, Neato Robotics, Qualcomm, Realme, Satisfyer, Schneider electric, Shelly/ Allterco, TCL, TP-Link, TUYA, Wessel-Werk. The currently designed IFA 2020 Special Edition – consisting of a physical event that focuses on B2B functions: As a meeting point for industry and trade in the IFA Business and Meeting Lounges, IFA NEXT meets SHIFT Mobility with cross-sector innovations and IFA Global Markets for the sourcing of components using global supply chains. While these parts of the event are aimed at trade visitors, media representatives can experience the latest products and services, press briefings and IFA keynotes exclusively at the IFA Global Press Conferences.