A bright idea

The impact of a company’s indoor environment on the health and efficiency of its employees is often overlooked. The importance of a natural inflow of light in large buildings in particular is often neglected.

Parans has therefore come up with a system which collects sunlight and directs it into buildings using optical fibres. The optical cables are so long and so flexible – and so good at directing sunlight – that they can reach far inside large buildings. This way, even rooms without windows can enjoy natural sunlight.

At first, it was all about the light
Social responsibility did not, originally, feature highly on the company’s agenda. The product was actually developed from a desire to improve the possibility of bringing sunlight indoors. The company also wanted to help the construction industry to use materials effectively in the construction of large buildings, without compromising the level of sunlight entering the building.

The CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) connection came about later as a result of the product’s functional properties – and because people associated with the company pointed out that Parans’ systems helped to improve the environment and human well-being. In addition to improving the indoor environment, Parans' systems typically lead to savings in energy costs of 25-30 per cent.

Having developed the idea behind the company, the two founders of Parans contacted two investors who both became part of the group of investors backing the company. Today, Parans sells its products on five continents via independent distributors in 25 countries. The company regularly receives recognition for its social and environmental work.

External players
Since its establishment in 2003, Parans has teamed up with external players in an effort to focus on a few core functions such as research and development, marketing and business development. All production has been outsourced to independent manufacturers. Sales agents and distributors receive marketing plans containing Parans' expectations as to how a product should be promoted.

Communication with the local community is important to Parans, and the company issues regular press releases about events which may be of broad interest.