- 6,000 ABB researchers and developers work worldwide to produce innovative and sustainable technology
- Sustainability guidelines, covering environmental issues and health and safety, are built in to the development of all new products
- New advances in frequency conversion, multi-variable process control and ultra high voltage transmission technologies save energy and boost performance
Understanding and meeting customer needs with cutting-edge product innovation while lowering environmental impact is a key strength of the company.
ABB’s research and development departments worldwide employ some 6,000 highly skilled people in different businesses and at seven corporate research centers. Spending on research and development in 2007 was $1.2 billion, up nearly nine percent compared to the previous year.
When developing new products, the ABB designer follows strict sustainability guidelines applicable to each phase of the process.
These guidelines include, for example, standardized Life Cycle Assessment procedures, a handbook for environmentally aware design, a health and safety check-list to identify potential risks, and a list of prohibited and restricted substances to ensure the company’s sustainability objectives are also embedded into product development.
Furthermore, a mandatory seven-step approvals process requires documented assessment at each step of the development to ensure the new product’s sustainability objectives and performance throughout its working life are met. For core products, ABB produces and publishes Environmental Product Declarations based on formal Life Cycle Assessments..
A sustainability support group within ABB’s corporate research organization develops and maintains sustainability tools and conducts training to ensure sustainability requirements are fully understood and integrated into business activities. This has resulted in cleaner production processes with lower emissions, less waste, streamlined transportation, safer working environments and significant cost savings.
Sustainable product development translates into business success. New advances in frequency conversion, multi-variable process control and ultra high voltage transmission technologies save energy and improve customers’ performance while lowering environmental impact.
The development of such products is key to ABB’s efforts to build on its market leadership positions and to ensure its success in the future.