Image Credits: IDS
In times of global warming and fine dust alarms, there is an onus on companies to provide a tangible contribution to environmental protection. The German industrial camera manufacturer IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH takes this subject very seriously and focuses on sustainability and future oriented energy generation and utilization. Recently, the company also started with the shift to electric and hybrid company cars and offers bike leasing to its employees.
This year, IDS celebrates its 20th anniversary and has grown to have 220 employees, mainly working at the German headquarters in Obersulm, but also internationally in three subsidiaries and another three offices. They are manufacturing more than 150.000 cameras per year that are used all over the world. The company, which today is one of the biggest in machine vision, has been realizing above-average growth for years. After record performance in 2016, the current figures for the 1st quarter of 2017 exceeds all expectations, e.g. incoming orders rose by 25%.
The success is based on the courage and will to change. This is true with regard to both technological developments as well as the responsibility that a company bears towards its employees and its immediate and global environments.
“Our sustainable and ethical business actively protects the environment”, is one of the guiding principles that the company pursues consequently. Examples for this are the introduction of the “paperless office”, a resource-saving production and the consistent use of renewable energies. With that in mind, the new company building opened in 2015, was built with a pioneering energy concept. This includes the use of a heat pump for heating and cooling the building as well as a photovoltaic system that covers the whole usable roof surface and generates more than 100 kWp electricity. Additional energy that is needed for the older buildings is 100% climate-friendly and sourced from certified suppliers. The annual CO2 savings amount to nearly 100 tons and underline the future-oriented and environment related positioning of the company.
Also in mobility the first steps towards more sustainability have already been taken: the internal permissible CO2 emission value for IDS company cars will decrease annually and the switch to electric and hybrid cars started. On the company’s parking lot charging stations for electric cars are already available. And those who like to be active on their way to work or in their spare time can make use of a business bike leasing program.