Innovation
Things are changing in the world, and this is particularly evident in the FM industry. Coor's customers are becoming more knowledgeable about FM and demanding higher standards, which is a development that Coor can benefit from. At Coor, we like to say that change is in our DNA, and it is precisely this that we are now benefiting from. Not only are we taking the lead in pushing the industry forward – we love doing so.
Interview with Fredrik Sandqvist, Head of Innovation & Service Development at Coor
"Coor continuously strives to be the most innovative company in the FM sector in the Nordics. A well-functioning innovation eco system with close collaborations between customers, suppliers and startups, positions Coor as a market leader," according to Fredrik Sandqvist, Head of Innovation & Service Development at Coor.
How does Coor work with innovation?
“Coor has a dedicated innovation team that continuously identifies, develops and launches new innovative solutions that are commercially, operationally and technologically scalable. We do this alongside others in our steadily growing innovation eco system which includes our customers, employees, existing suppliers and new exciting businesses. Together, we create the future today.”
How do you go about finding new products and solutions?
“A very important part of our eco system is the continuously growing flora of startups and scaleups that have been established around the world. To find new innovative partners, we have chosen to work with accelerators and matchmaking programs in the Nordics that offer a close fit with our operations, such as Ignite Sweden and PropTech Denmark. They work as recruitment agents that help us find startups and scaleups with optimal solutions for our needs. These programs provide us with contacts at hundreds of startups and scaleups each year, and we are able to initiate collaborations with those with the best fit in terms of solutions and corporate culture.”
What kinds of innovation is Coor looking for?
“The innovations we seek can be divided into three categories: Innovation that contributes to more attractive and productive workplaces, innovation that contributes to increased cost efficiency and innovation that contributes to increased sustainability. Examples include our music solution for the workplace offered alongside Epidemic Sound, our energy optimization services where we collaborate with Spotscale to thermograph buildings with drones, and Mimbox, a small innovative purification plant from Mimbly that helps us reduce water consumption and minimize emissions of microplastics in our cleaning processes.”
Which new innovations do you expect over the coming five – ten years?
“We expect to see an increasing number of buildings, installations, sensors and mobile units that are connected to the internet and with each other. As a result, we will be able to automate some processes that are currently done manually, and we will be able to monitor, control and even executive remedial activities remotely. Coor is already handling large volumes of security alarms around the clock in our certified alarm center, we use robots to carry out some cleaning and logistics services, and we use drones and IoT platforms to thermograph and optimize property operations.”
“All relevant technologies are likely to become better, cheaper and safer over time, so in terms of technology there are very few limitations to what is possible. What will determine the speed of implementation is more about the incentives offered to make it happen. We are already seeing that new business models based on profit sharing can have a positive impact, although stronger requirements from the authorities, for example in the area of climate change, will probably be needed to get things moving really fast.”
