María López – Signify

Signify is the world leader in lighting, shaping the way people, cities and businesses experience light. María López, Global Brand Marketing and Audience Manager at Signify, sits at the crossroads of brand strategy, consumer understanding and cross-functional collaboration. In this interview, she discusses the accelerating pace of innovation, the growing influence of AI, and the integration of sustainability into every stage of development.

Innovation as a Value Driver, and a Race Against Time

Innovation is deeply embedded in Signify’s identity and is a key differentiator and driver of value. As the world’s largest lighting manufacturer, the company has long been recognised for its technical leadership. But today, the expectations are higher, and the pace is faster. “Innovation has always existed, but what has changed is the speed,” says María. The challenge is not only generating new ideas but ensuring they can be engineered, tested, and produced at the quality level required for products that end up in people’s homes. Technology accelerates development, yet it also raises the pressure on teams across the organisation.

At the same time, innovation at Signify takes many forms: from small improvements that enhance product efficiency, to breakthroughs that redefine what lighting can do, and new solutions that connect lighting systems with wider building infrastructure. “We work a lot on improving existing products; small innovations that enhance our portfolio, as well as creating entirely new, breakthrough products, often based on insights we get from ongoing consumer research.” Whether serving consumer households, large-scale B2B environments, or entire cities, innovation is the lens through which Signify looks at both market needs and long-term competitiveness.

“We work a lot on improving existing products, as well as creating entirely new, breakthrough products, often based on insights we get from ongoing consumer research.”

AI and Sustainability: The New Frontiers of Lighting

Two forces shape Signify’s innovation agenda today: sustainability and AI. While the company is known for lighting, María emphasises that Signify increasingly operates as a technology partner. “We don’t just produce lighting, we connect lighting with other building devices and services, and this is powered by AI automation.” AI helps optimise energy use, streamline system management, and unlock new user experiences.

Sustainability is foundational. For Signify, it is impossible to innovate without considering environmental impact. Signify has long championed energy-efficient technology that reduces energy expenditure and resulting carbon emissions. The company is also pushing boundaries on materials with circular lamps made from ocean plastics, innovative recycling processes, and 3D-printed luminaires that can be customised for consumers or professional clients. “You can’t innovate today without being sustainable. If we want the world to keep going, that’s a must,” says María.

“We don’t just produce lighting, we connect lighting with other building devices and services, and this is powered by AI automation.”

Hybrid Innovation Model: From Locked-Door R&D to Cross-Functional Creation

Innovation at Signify happens through a hybrid approach. On one side are the specialised R&D teams, sometimes “literally behind closed doors,” as María describes them, where highly technical development takes place. On the other side is a collaborative model that brings together marketing, insights, production, and other functions through structured brainstorming moments and annual ideation cycles.

“There are dedicated sessions throughout the year, brainstorming moments, where we all come together to respond to market demands. In marketing, we also innovate specifically in how we adapt our communications to the changing market.” This approach ensures that consumer needs guide innovation as much as technical possibilities.

Research plays an important but selective role. Signify uses consumer studies at the start of the process to validate trends and again at the end to test tangible prototypes. Incremental innovations may not require testing at all, whereas disruptive ideas undergo thorough evaluation. “Research is present in the early “brainstorming” and final “testing” phases. Not necessarily in the conceptual phase, unless the idea has already materialised to some degree.”

The success of an innovation is, according to María, not only based on sales but on positive customer feedback, aligning with the original goal. Still, María points out a persistent challenge: visibility; “If innovation isn’t communicated, it often doesn’t register with people, María says. “Signify is a leader in patent registrations in Europe, and while innovation is important, it’s also important to be able to communicate that value to our clients by including this message in our marketing strategies.”

“Signify is a leader in patent registrations in Europe, and while innovation is important, it’s also important to be able to communicate that value to our clients by including this message in our marketing strategies.”

The Human Insight Behind Every Good Idea

For all the emphasis on technology, María believes the hardest part of innovation remains deeply human: finding the right insight. “Obvious insights like wanting to save energy aren’t enough. Everyone wants that. You need to dig deeper to find the insight that matters in your sector.” This first spark is what determines whether an innovation will resonate, and it is often where teams need the most time and reflection.

Signify has recently reorganised to support this way of working. The company now operates through multidisciplinary workstreams, bringing together teams from different departments at the very start of each project. AI agents help structure information, reduce bias, and facilitate collaboration, but María is clear that real innovation ultimately comes from people. “Innovation has to come from outside, be developed internally in a collaborative way, and then be released back into the world.” In her view, innovation is not the responsibility of a single function, but a collective effort shaped by human talent, curiosity, and the willingness to explore what comes next.

“Innovation has to come from outside, be developed internally in a collaborative way, and then be released back into the world.”