Smart Home: The Interplay of Technology, Design, and Materials
Humanity continues to grow – and is becoming, on average, both wealthier and older. This is raising expectations of the living environment: it must be comfortable, connected, and sustainable. Advanced materials are helping to make this possible.
You sit sweating in front of the fan, toss and turn from one side to the other at night, and for some, the air conditioning runs non-stop. In large parts of the world, extreme heat is once again causing problems for people – including in temperate regions like Central Europe – with negative effects on well-being and productivity. But it doesn't have to be this way. Whether scorching hot or bitterly cold, whether in the city or in the countryside: life can indeed be made more comfortable and easier.
Through a home that thinks ahead, supports, and protects. One where the day begins before the alarm goes off. The temperature in the bathroom has already been optimally adjusted, the light in the bedroom is slowly being dimmed up, and the display in the kitchen shows energy consumption, the weather forecast, and upcoming appointments. While the coffee brews, a wearable discreetly measures pulse and sleep quality.
Smart Home – what still sounds slightly extravagant today is becoming the norm for more and more people around the globe. After all, the number of internet-based devices alone is set to double between 2024 and 2030 to around 40 billion.
A good, contemporary life for everyone – that is the central vision of the United Nations. An immense challenge, if only because the global population is steadily growing, as the World Population Day once again illustrates: from the current 8.3 billion to almost ten billion people by 2050. Yet the real dynamic behind these figures lies not in pure growth, but in the shift in purchasing power and lifestyle.
The affluent middle class continues to grow
Because more and more people, especially in the Global South, are making the leap into the middle class. By 2030, around 55 percent of the world's population could already belong to this group – almost two billion more people than at the beginning of this decade. People no longer just want to be provided for; they want to lead a modern life: connected, informed, comfortable, and sustainable. With corresponding expectations of their living environment.
But the apartment or home should not only be appealing, digital, and trendy – it should also help people stay active and independent for longer. Because the world is becoming not only wealthier on average, but also older: by 2050, one in six people could be at least 65 years old. This brings safety, health, activity, and self-sufficiency increasingly into focus.
Taken together, this creates a complex ecosystem: displays, sensors, and routers on one side; furniture, household appliances, wearables, and medical technology on the other – increasingly interwoven in everyday life. Yet alongside all the benefits, there are also challenges.
Because more comfort products and increasing connectivity also mean more emissions, more electronic waste, and greater resource demands. On average, electronic devices are used for only around three years today; at the same time, over 60 million tons of e-waste were generated worldwide in 2024. For the smart home, we therefore need not only superior technology, but also superior products: more durable, safer, more efficient, and better recyclable.
Materials Define Modern Living
Modern living thus becomes a question of materials. How many cycles the washing machine can withstand, how long the display stays clear, and the armchair remains elastic, whether the refrigerator uses energy efficiently, or whether the digital infrastructure works reliably – within one's own four walls, this is also a question of the right materials. They are often invisible, but crucial in bringing together comfort, safety, design, and sustainability.
This is where the plastics industry comes into play. In the electronics sector, for example, casings, displays, or touchscreens can be made particularly robust, lightweight, and design-friendly through the use of polycarbonates. Polyurethane foams contribute to comfort and energy efficiency – for instance in mattresses, furniture, upholstery, or insulation for air conditioning and refrigeration units.
The infrastructure behind the connected home also requires high-performance materials: fibre-optic networks, cables, connectors, housings, 5G base stations, and Wi-Fi components must function reliably and withstand stress over many years. Coatings, resins, and high-tech plastics can help make these systems more resilient and longer lasting.
World Population Day makes it clear: the question is no longer simply how many people live on this planet, but how they want to live – and with what materials we shape this transformation. Because modern living comfort is not created by the next app or the latest device. It is created where technology, design, and materials work together.