Henrik Clausen

Henrik Clausen is the Director of the Fagerhult Lighting Academy, which is part of the Fagerhult brand within the Group. With more than twenty years at Fagerhult and extensive experience of lecturing at universities on the topic of light and lighting, he has built a career on uniting science, technology and human needs.

How did your journey in light begin, and what was it that caught your interest?
It actually started with my curiosity as an engineer. During my training in Denmark, I realised that it was difficult to measure much of the impact that light has on people. I didn’t believe that this could be the case, so I started developing an instrument that could provide probability-based measurements. It was a nerdy, technical project, but it opened the door to the lighting industry. I met fantastic engineers and designers, and quickly understood that light is more than just technology – it’s about people. After twelve years at Louis Poulsen and further training at IMD, I ended up at Fagerhult, where I initially managed the Danish operation before being given the opportunity to build up the Fagerhult Lighting Academy. This is where my passion belongs. 

What does light mean to you on a personal level?
Light is more than just physics and design. For me, light is almost like a philosophy, representing joy, security and energy. Darkness is passive, sometimes even threatening. Light, on the other hand, is active, positive and life-affirming. When the lighting is right, it affects everything we perceive: the colours in a room, the ambience, how we feel and how we perform. Without good light, many details are lost. Colours fade, materials lose life and the room loses its soul. With the right light, however, everything becomes more realistic and more human. 

Can you describe Human Centric Lighting, and why  it is so important?
Human Centric Lighting is all about light that makes people feel good. We start out on the basis of three dimensions: the visual, the biological and the emotional. We have traditionally worked with the visual aspect – seeing well. In 2002, however, scientists discovered a new light receptor in the eye, which affects our circadian rhythm, our sleep and how alert we feel. This realisation changed everything. Suddenly, we could start designing lighting that supports human biological needs. Plenty of light in the morning, less light in the evening, and the right wavelengths at the right time. This makes a huge difference to how we feel, how we recover and how we perform.

What effects does Human Centric Lighting have in practice?
The clearest effects can be seen within health and social care. In dementia care homes and hospitals, we can monitor the needs of individuals and provide them with the right light at the right time. We have seen improved sleep quality and reduced use of sleep medication, for example, as well as a calmer environment for both patients and staff. A good example is Skaraborg Hospital in Skövde, where we have worked on solutions that reinforce the patients’ circadian rhythm and increase well-being.  

Daylight harvesting is becoming increasingly important. What is your view of this? 
Daylight harvesting is one of the most natural and sustainable aspects of good lighting design. It entails letting the daylight do the work, and automatically dimming the luminaires when the sun is providing enough light. It saves energy,  reduces the environmental impact and creates a more natural rhythm in the room. It’s cost-effective and smart, and it’s the future. We should be talking much more about it. 

What is the next step in the field of Human Centric Lighting? 
Going forward, I believe that individualisation will be key. Together with universities in Umeå, Jönköping and Edinburgh, we are exploring how light can be adapted to age, needs or diagnoses such as ADHD. We know that different wavelengths affect us differently, and in future I believe that light will be able to be fine-tuned for each individual. AI will play a major role. I believe we will see sensors and systems that perceive behaviours and needs, and that will automatically adjust the light accordingly. It will become more personal and more precision-oriented.Fundamentally, however, our approach is still simple: We will be making light that makes people feel as good as possible.