Polski
Smart Streets and Quiet Interiors: Two Faces of Modern Lighting
This week in the lighting industry shows just how much the definition of "good lighting" is expanding. On one hand, there's Warsaw, aiming to use artificial intelligence to control over 110,000 streetlights. On the other, European manufacturers for whom light is no longer just about lumens, but also about the acoustic comfort of interiors. We take a look at both cases.
01 · Smart City
Warsaw bets on smart streetlights on a massive scale [1]
The Polish capital has signed an 8-year agreement with Emitel (with an option to extend to 13 years) worth roughly PLN 79 million to deploy a smart street lighting control system [1]. The scale of the project is impressive — the system will cover more than 110,000 LED fixtures spread across the entire city [1].
What exactly will Warsaw gain? Above all, remote monitoring of the status of each individual lamp and automatic fault detection, allowing for a much faster response than traditional maintenance rounds [1]. On top of that comes dynamic brightness adjustment based on weather conditions and traffic intensity — the streetlights are meant to shine brighter exactly where and when it's actually needed [1]. The city estimates this will deliver an additional roughly 30 percent in energy savings, on top of the baseline already achieved through the earlier LED modernization, which alone brought Warsaw around PLN 150 million in savings [1].
This is a good example of how lighting automation is ceasing to be an add-on and becoming a core tool for managing municipal budgets. For local governments across Poland, it could be a signal that investment in smart control pays off not just in theory, but in real money.
02 · Interiors & Acoustics
Zumtobel and Impact Acoustic: when a light fixture also has to sound good [2]
A completely different dimension of innovation is on display in the partnership announced at the turn of August and September by Austrian luminaire manufacturer Zumtobel and Swiss interior acoustics specialist Impact Acoustic [2]. The two companies have decided to join forces to offer architects and investors integrated, "one-stop" solutions that combine lighting technology with acoustic design [2].
In practice, this means Zumtobel is now factoring acoustic considerations into the design of its fixtures from the outset, while Impact Acoustic is integrating Zumtobel's products into its digital room-planning system [2]. The result? Interior designers gain a tool that reconciles two comfort parameters — light quality and sound quality — right from the start, instead of treating them as separate issues that often end up at odds with each other. Both companies also stress that the collaboration fits into their shared approach to sustainability, based on the Circular Design Rules [2].
This is an example of a broader trend: light fixtures are increasingly rarely designed in isolation from the rest of the interior. Clients — especially in the office and public sectors — now expect holistic solutions rather than standalone products.
Summary
Summary
From smart streetlights to quiet open-plan offices — this week shows that lighting is increasingly taking on the role of a systemic technology, tied to energy management, data, and user comfort on multiple levels at once. If you'd like to see what these kinds of solutions look like in practice — from control systems to modern architectural fixtures — join us at Light-Tech Expo – International Lighting Fair. That's where the companies behind similar implementations and products will come together.
Invitation
Want to see smart lighting control systems and the latest solutions combining light with interior comfort in action? Visit Light-Tech Expo – International Lighting Fair and talk to the companies building the technologies covered in this roundup. Energy topics will also be front and center thanks to the accompanying events, Solar Energy Expo and World of Hydrogen Expo.
Light-Tech Expo 2026