Sascha Peters
- Material expert
- Founder of HAUTE INNOVATION
- Red Dot Ambassador
1. Looking back over the past years, what new trends in furniture production and material application have captured your attention? How are these trends specifically reflected in the products or companies nominated for this year’s interzum guangzhou Award?
We see a particular trend towards making furniture design simpler and less complex, while simultaneously reducing the number of materials used. Efficient production and use, and integrating resources into closed-loop systems, are the goals. Assembly systems that also allow for uncomplicated disassembly have been submitted to the award repeatedly, as is the case again this year.
2. What is your understanding of this edition’s keyword, “Smart Revolution”, in the furniture industry, based on the winning products?
A number of winning entries focus on a smart way of adapting furniture to the user. This applies to both height-adjustable desks and upholstered furniture that alerts the user to incorrect posture. Artificial intelligence is making its way into the furniture industry. Smart systems are being integrated that, for example, take over wake-up functions, monitor breathing during sleep, or create a cooling effect on the body at night.
3. What are the most impressive materials featured in the entries of this year’s interzum guangzhou Award? How do you view the role of such materials in the future development of the furniture industry?
With all the trends towards integrating digital tools into materials and surfaces, I was particularly impressed by solutions where, for example, smart fiber technology in a mattress shields against electrostatic waves. This is precisely the opposite of smart technology, which leads to more AI-driven digital systems and enables the user to enjoy a restful night's sleep.
4. True circularity often requires a shift from selling products to offering services. In your view, what are the most viable first steps for traditional furniture manufacturers to test and integrate such circular business models without disrupting their current operations?
The transformation to a circular economy will depend crucially on whether industry takes responsibility for the resources it uses. Only when there is an economic benefit that promises a business opportunity for all those companies to take back their products, repair them, and/or design them in such a way that materials can be reused at the end of their life cycle will circular business models succeed.
5. As a jury member, you are not just selecting winners but also sending signals to the entire industry. Beyond recognizing excellence, what is one specific, actionable signal or call to action you hope the outcomes of this award will send to manufacturers, designers, and brands worldwide?
I think we need a fundamental shift in our perception of the spaces in which we live, eat, and move. An environment that, in recent years, has been expected to look ever more perfect and smooth, but rather a perception of spaces and surfaces that embraces patina, aging, and imperfection. It's okay if things have rough edges, dents, and scratches. That would not only help the ideas of the circular economy in industry, but also move us forward as a society.
