Philips is coming full circle. The Dutch company, which started in the late 19th century as an electric lighting company, is now spinning off several lighting units into a standalone company.
Salesforce and Royal Philips NV have partnered in an ambitious venture to build a health platform that will connect healthcare providers, insurers, and healthcare consumers.
The two companies envision an open technology platform that will collect health data from a wide range of clinical machines and information systems, and also from wellness apps and devices outside the healthcare system.
Two years ago, we decided to embed circular-economy thinking in our strategic vision and mission, both as a competitive necessity and with the conviction that companies solving the problem of resource constraints will have an advantage. We believe that customers will increasingly consider natural resources in their buying decisions and will give preference to companies that show responsible behavior—something we are already seeing. Designing products and services for a circular economy can also bring savings to a company. The first impression people always have is that it adds costs, but that’s not true. We find that it drives breakthrough thinking and can generate superior margins.
