On April 16, ETC opened the doors to its new Innovation Centre. Nestled amongst the stunning scenery of Squamish, British Columbia, the Innovation Centre is home to the engineering team behind ETC's Echoflex line of wireless distributed lighting control products as well as other architectural and commercial applications. With a focus on cutting-edge technology and sustainable solutions, the new Innovation Centre is dedicated to helping ETC revolutionize the way lighting systems are controlled in commercial properties, the company says.

"This new building shows the commitment ETC has to generating new ideas and new products about how to create an advanced, sustainable way forward for our lighting industry," says Lena Sundstedt, manager of project management at ETC and the leader of the Innovation Centre opening team. "We are happy to give the crew creating such great work, a great space to develop it in."

The space is also a showcase of all of ETC's technology, featuring equipment from nearly all of ETC's architectural and commercial product lines, including: Echoflex, Echo, and Paradigm controls; Desire, Navis, Irideon, Source Four Mini, and ArcSystem architectural luminaires; Rayn horticultural lighting nurturing a green plant wall in the lobby; and other third-party fixtures repped by CDM2 Lighting, ETC's rep in Vancouver, BC.

"We wanted it to be a showcase for all that is possible with ETC," says Paul Greening, architectural and commercial market manager for ETC. "It demonstrates what we can do with our own gear, but also highlights how we offer the best controls for any commercial or architectural application."

During the open house celebration, guests toured the new space, checked out the view of Mount Garibaldi from the engineering area, and admired a mural from Squamish artist Liesl Petersen in the warehouse. But the central feature everyone seemed to gravitate toward was the bouldering wall. ETC's engineering team -- a group of talented rock climbers, kite surfers, photographers, and outdoor enthusiasts who take advantage of all of British Columbia's astounding natural scenery and the opportunities for play it offers -- already had plans to integrate lighting into the platform to indicate optimal training runs.

"This is a team that is dedicated to preserving our environment and all its treasures because they want to continue to enjoy it!" jokes Greening