Smart Office Materials

Innovation exhibition with intelligent materials, sustainable materials and energetic solutions

25–29 October 2016, Cologne

Location: Orgatec 2016, KölnMesse, hall 8
Organizer: KölnMesse
Materials selection and didactics: Dr. Sascha Peters
Exhibition design: Diana Drewes

In consequence of the increasing digitalization and the large number of technical innovations the society is undergoing a strong change at present. New communication and production systems have an impact above all on our working culture and make the working place more flexible. Where standardized office atmospheres were formerly found one now speaks about open workspaces for the creative workers in the information society of to-morrow. Innovations in the field of new materials support this trend help to make the working place more sustainable, multi-functional and smart to a certain extent. Material surfaces react on environmental influences, show the temperature in rooms or the degree of environmental pollution. They are used for the generation of energy or measure the movement of passing logistic systems. Materials are able to smell, sound, taste …

With the special exhibition, the experts from Haute Innovation showed the potential of the latest material innovations for modern working environments. They presented new sources of raw materials for manufacturers and planners, sketched scenarios for the use of intelligent materials in the smart office / home context and outlined the possibilities of additive manufacturing in the furniture industry. New lightweight construction solutions will make it easier to convert work situations quickly and help conserve resources.

Some Highlights of the exhibition with more than 100 exhibits on 500 sqm were:

– Potato furniture (Jarrell Goh, Singapore)
– Coffee ground panels (PLADEC, Portugal)
– Free formable auxetic folding structure (Pietsch, Wismar)
– 3D-printed textiles made of PA (digits2widgets, London)
– Self assembly furniture (Noumenon Design, Belgium)
– Wooden leather (Marlène Huissoud, London)
– 3D-printed concrete (Imprimere AG, Oberdorf/CH)
– Carbon sound chair (Innfa, Stuttgart)
– EBRU touch & smell glass tiles (Thai Ceramic, Thailand)
– Electrifying concrete for smart home systems (Thorsten Klooster, Prof. Heike Klussmann, University of Kassel)
– 3D-printed booth made of sand and epoxy (Trindo, Munich)
– Solar curtain with shape memory alloy SMA (Fraunhofer IWU, Dresden; Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin)

www.orgatec.de