Colt Group Ltd

Colt Group taps the demand for sustainable building technologies in the Hong Kong and Singapore smoke control, performance louvre and solar shading markets

Smart context and background

Many emerging and advanced cities are witnessing growing demand for control and automation systems that serve to minimise consumption on the supply side and reduce wastage on the demand side, with a view to improving the overall energy efficiency and sustainability of both greenfield and retrofitted commercial and industrial buildings.

The Company …  

UK-based Colt Group Ltd (“Colt”), founded as a family business in 1931, has approximately 1000 employees and is a global leader in the development, manufacture, installation and maintenance of a very broad range of smoke control systems, performance louvre and solar shading systems and has a strong and growing presence in Asia.

… & its Smart success stories

Hong Kong – Colt won the tender to provide natural ventilation and weatherproof screening louvre solutions for the Tsim Sha Tsui Station which forms part of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR). The extension of the rail system in Hong Kong is itself identified as a smart opportunity under the transport theme on (page 39 of the full Smart Cities report).

Singapore – Colt provided ventilation solutions to REC, a Norwegian solar panel manufacturer, which has established a new production complex in Singapore. REC has in turn won the tender to supply the Housing Development Board, one of the principal local stakeholders behind the roll-out of smart solutions in the Buildings & Environment theme in Singapore.

Tips for doing business in Asia:

• The ability to position yourself as a specialist subcontractor of integrated solutions, coupled with a commitment to become a “local” company, is key to success in Asia. This means establishing locally staffed offices from which the employees are able to leverage first-hand knowledge of conditions, regulations and practices to advise customers.

• It is also important to make full use of all of the market research and preparatory resources which are available to you. In particular, the support of UKTI prior to making the move into new geographies is invaluable and the ability to differentiate yourself from local and international competitors once “on the ground” is essential.