Exploring how sustainability drives creative innovation and shapes modern product design

Olympia Dolla, the Head of Sustainability Program at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEIA, is leading her team in embedding sustainability deeply within a global industry leader. This approach is critical for fostering a customer-centric culture. With a background as an environmental scientist and a Master’s in Sustainable Development, Energy, and Materials, Olympia Dolla has long been passionate about renewable energy, lifecycle analysis, and the circular economy. Her journey started in Greece and continued with a Master’s degree in the Netherlands.

Olympia’s internship at TU Delft sparked a strong desire to work with businesses to drive impactful, sustainable innovation. This passion led her to various roles in the chemical and construction industries, sustainable R&D, and policy, eventually bringing her to ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEIA in 2022. Throughout her career, she has been actively involved with organizations like ECO Platform, Construction Products Europe, and the World Green Building Council.

Under her leadership, the team has been pivotal in advancing the company’s Science-Based Targets (SBTs) pathway towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050. They have developed a comprehensive Scope 3 strategy, integrating sustainability efforts across procurement, operations, innovation, and product design.

Sustainability is redefining business operations, from supply chains to product designs. At ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEIA, it is not a mere compliance exercise but a core principle embedded in the business. This approach is reshaping the company’s innovation strategies, fostering a strong link between sustainability and innovation to meet customers’ evolving needs.

Sustainability drives ASSA ABLOY to rethink traditional practices and develop innovative methods to minimize environmental impact. This includes using recycled materials, designing durable products, and ensuring they can be reused or recycled. These efforts reduce waste and the overall carbon footprint, fostering a culture of continuous improvement in product quality and innovation.

One of the key priorities is empowering engineering and design teams to consider carbon footprint throughout product development. By incorporating circularity principles and designing products for easy disassembly and reuse, the company is fostering sustainable innovation and waste reduction.

ASSA ABLOY is also committed to reducing the carbon footprint of its products. Since 2024, all new EMEIA products must achieve at least a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to previous models. This goal is met through sustainable materials and innovative design, reflecting the company’s dedication to sustainable product development.

In the context of buildings, which account for around 30 percent of global energy consumption, ASSA ABLOY focuses on enhancing energy efficiency across the building lifecycle. Their innovative solutions, such as energy-harvesting technology and energy-efficient devices, are designed to improve sustainability performance and adapt to future challenges.

The company is also leveraging advanced technologies like energy harvesting in their Digital & Access Solutions (DAS) products, showcasing how sustainability can drive groundbreaking advancements in access control.

ASSA ABLOY is committed to transparency and sustainability in their industry operations. By the end of 2024, they had published 24 Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) within EMEIA, with more on the horizon for 2025. EPDs provide transparent, standardized, and measurable data on a product’s environmental impact, supporting sustainable building practices.

In operations, they prioritize energy optimization, such as through the use of photovoltaic panels and lean manufacturing practices. At the Rychnov factory, a leader in energy efficiency, ASSA ABLOY has implemented a digital system to monitor and optimize energy usage. The system uses sensors to track and analyze variables like temperature, light intensity, and energy consumption, enabling data-driven decisions and improved operational efficiency.

By embracing sustainability as a driver of innovation, ASSA ABLOY is setting new benchmarks for the industry. Their journey towards a sustainable future is characterized by collaboration, creativity, and determination. Through embedding sustainability in their operations and products, they are creating solutions that meet current needs while preserving resources for the future.