December 14, 2022
Eleven Lighting Predictions for 2023
Thought leaders envision the business strategy, culture and technology shifts of the year ahead
As the lighting industry turns the calendar to 2023, opportunities and challenges continue to emerge.
Inflationary pressure, supply chain troubles and possible recession-inspired downturns create a lighting industry playing field that are affecting business strategy, technology adoption and culture shifts that may have long-lasting staying power.
We caught up with numerous lighting industry thought leaders to capture their insights on the year ahead. Here’s what they predict will happen in 2023.
"Our industry has experienced long term uncertainty that will extend through 2023 but the change is a strong bias to action. Another year cannot be spent seeing how things settle out. The 'slog' of obstacles has been endless, COVID, manufacturing disruptions, turnover, supply chain, R2O and market uncertainty.
Most relevant today are the words of legendary management consultant Peter Drucker 'Culture eats strategy for breakfast.' Creating an empowering culture will provide organizational success in 2023. Those who have invested in connection & culture will triumph in the continued turbulence and the chasm of those that did not will grow."
Jimalee Beno, President
Focal Point
"The two big themes I see are (1) intensified focus on sustainability and specifically how closed loop recycling and circular economy manufacturing will impact projects and (2) use of increased research efforts to understand how lighting impacts human health and what this means for architectural lighting design."
Christopher Knowlton, CEO
International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD)
"The last few years have taught us all to expect the unexpected, but it seems likely in 2023 that we will see a slowing economy, improving supply chain conditions as companies adjust to the global turmoil experienced during COVID, an increased focus on Sustainability/ESG compliance, and continued consolidation with manufacturers, agents, distributors, and others throughout the supply chain. Regardless of the environment, customers will always want products and solutions that deliver real value from companies they trust, and a quick and efficient service model – digitally and in-person."
Kraig Kasler, President
Cooper Lighting Solutions
"I am pleased that the industry's focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Respect (DEIR) is leading to more community engagement that will influence the future of lighting as we head into 2023. Future installations and products will take advantage of the learning and awareness that lighting professionals of all disciplines received and now have access to, which will make the future of lighting more beneficial to a more diverse set of users, customers and companies. The industry will take what it has learned over these last couple of years of transition and be able to apply it. "
Bernadette Boudreaux, Associate Director of Operations
DesignLights Consortium (DLC)
"Given the backdrop of a highly volatile 2022, I think we are looking at a return to a degree of normalcy next year. The now-familiar supply chain challenges, and inflationary pressures will continue to a lesser extent but the positive aspect is that the industry has largely learnt to manage it. While Customer responsiveness, and continued ability to pivot, will be key to meeting the market growth expectations, driving penetration into higher growth market segments and building our integrated controls attachment rates will enable incremental opportunity for gains."
Tom Benton, VP & GM Luminaires
Current
"In 2023, collaboration – even unlikely ones – will foster growth, accountability, and provide our industry with new forms of inspiration. Lighting is converging with other technologies and trades, opening opportunities in new places and with new faces. Our industry will be stronger if we can embrace (and even seek out) change."
Colleen Harper, Executive Director
Illuminating Engineering Society
"We will continue to hear that finding good talent is hard. The Lighting Industry has an acute need for a modern approach to recruit a more diverse generation that seeks a stronger understanding of their role and partnership with their employer. Offering a collaborative talent development program that allows the associate to see a clear vision of a long term, successful career path will be essential to success."
Marc Hodges, Director of Lighting
Sonepar USA
"Building operations will continue to evolve due to the pandemic era and work-from-home policies. As a result, we will continue to see greater importance and significant investment in building insights. Property and Facility Management teams will require a real-time understanding of the building energy consumption, occupancy, insights on how to optimize energy use, reduce costs, enhance productivity, and support tenant ESG programs, that require reporting on carbon footprints and emissions for their sustainability teams."
Renee Borg, Principal
sixteen5hundred
"Luminaire Level Lighting Control (LLLC) adoption will accelerate in 2023 based on proven cost and energy savings and regulatory shifts like California Title 24. Bluetooth-based mesh solutions are ideal to implement LLLC – and proven, intuitive, simple and secure solutions will bring real value to the market."
Kari Mettälä, CEO
Casambi Technologies
"There's no longer a business 'normal.' Adaptation and innovation are the mantra for 2023 and for the foreseeable future. From a lighting perspective, color will be the constant thread through 2023. It will be dominant in the growth of lighting for beautification, health and mood where improved spectral manipulation, higher efficiency and support of the circular economy have increasing value. We will see the release of vehicles with automotive body illumination where light becomes the new 'chrome'. In 2023 we will see acceleration of LED headlamps in not just new cars, but in older cars as well as more governments homologate or set standards for automotive LED retrofit bulbs. Segmented LEDs will enable improved adaptive camera flash lighting and will begin to find their way into general illumination and vehicle projection lighting applications. And finally, addressing light pollution from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective will take on new importance and urgency for outdoor lighting. "
Steve Barlow, CEO
Lumileds
"Service-related businesses like architectural lighting design firms and electrical contractors will continue to face hiring challenges due to an inadequate supply of skilled workers.
In 2023, I expect demand to ease on the architectural design side, but commercial lighting projects will be hindered with additional delays and longer punch lists due to a continued shortage of highly qualified electrical contractor professionals."
Al Uszynski, Editor & Publisher
inside.lighting
