The age of majority
ARQUILED is 18 years old. The world has changed, and so have we. But there is one constant along the way: we have never ceased to be an innovative company. In fact, we've changed because we've evolved with the world, always striving to be at the forefront of technology.
Foundation and childhood
Eighteen years ago, two colleagues working in stage lighting came across a life-changing opportunity: LED (light-emitting diode) lighting. After several years of creating lighting effects for shows and plays, they stumbled upon an innovative technology capable of new functionalities and effects.
Until then, lighting was exclusively by means of light bulbs, some gas, others incandescent, but always starting from a glass bulb to give light. Just as thermionic valves were replaced by the transistor (a solid-state semiconductor like the LED), light bulbs could have a similar evolution.
Thanks to semiconductors, today we have computers and cell phones that fit in the palm of our hand. This was totally impossible with valves, which are large, unreliable and consume a lot of energy. In lighting, we could follow a similar path. In fact, not since Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb in 1879 has there been such a revolution in the lighting market.
Realizing the potential, these two entrepreneurs decided to quit their jobs and dedicate themselves exclusively to exploring this opportunity. Thus, ARQUILED was born, one of the first companies in the world dedicated exclusively to LED lighting.
This was followed by a series of emblematic projects such as the Lisbon and Estoril Casinos and renowned hotels such as Troia Design Hotel and Vilamoura Crown Plaza, which consolidated ARQUILED as a highly innovative company, characterized by strong growth in its early years.
Entering adolescence
With the crisis in the construction sector in 2014, there was a slowdown in architectural projects and, consequently, in lighting, which caused a strong impact on the company, leading to a new strategy based on energy efficiency, with an emphasis on street lighting.
At a time when many Portuguese municipalities were going through serious financial difficulties, and knowing that public lighting represents around 70% of a municipality’s electricity costs, switching to LED lighting would be a substantial help to reduce costs. And so, with a wide range of services, taking advantage of this opportunity, ARQUILED continued to grow and lead the energy transition in street lighting.
Adulthood
This mission to help our customers save critical resources in innovative ways is increasingly in our DNA. Today, more than a lighting company, we are an efficiency company.
We have reinforced the energy-saving potential of LEDs by making smart lighting, promoted the transition to LEDs as an ideal time to initiate smart city projects and, more recently, started helping municipalities save water, an increasingly scarce commodity.
In other words, we are progressively establishing ourselves as a hub of services and solutions for more efficient and sustainable management of cities and territories, a vehicle of sustainability for our customers and partners.
It’s not possible to know what the next 18 years will bring, but we do know that we will continue to be an innovative company, focused on the management of critical resources. Helping our customers make the world a better, more efficient, and sustainable place will always be our guiding principle.
Miguel Allen Lima
ARQUILED CEO
