Matt Woods

 

Can you tell us a little about your background in HVAC and smoke and fire?

I have been with Swegon for nine years. I started on the air diffusion side of the business, then moved over to Action Air, which is now the smoke and fire side of Swegon. Before that, I worked for Gilberts, a company based near Blackpool that focuses on ventilation equipment such as grilles, diffusers, louvres and natural ventilation. In total, I have been in the HVAC industry for around 13 years, and in construction for most of my working life, around 20 to 25 years.

 

If you explain smoke and fire solutions from a customer perspective, what is the most important thing to understand?

The simplest way to explain it is that we supply life safety systems. In a building, fire protection is based on compartmentation. The building is divided into fire-resisting sections, designed to hold back fire & smoke for a defined period, for example 30, 60 or 120 minutes. Our products, such as fire dampers and smoke control dampers, are installed where ventilation passes through those sections. In normal operation, they allow air to move through the building. In the event of a fire, they close or operate as required to maintain compartmentation, limit the spread of fire and smoke or safely extract smoke from a building, depending on the system designed.

 

Why is this so important for real estate owners and end users?

Because it is about protecting people and protecting the building. Smoke and fire systems are often not visible in day-to-day use, but they need to work when they are needed. For property owners, there is also a clear responsibility to maintain the systems after handover and to make sure inspections, documentation and servicing are in place. Good compliance is not just about meeting a regulation at one point in time, it is about making sure the safety strategy continues to perform during the life of the building.

 

How mature is the market when it comes to smoke and fire products?

In commercial and healthcare buildings, fire dampers are very common, particularly across Europe where the regulatory framework is strong. Residential buildings can be different, partly because some have more self-contained ventilation systems. The market also varies between countries. The UK has traditionally used more uninsulated metal blade dampers, while many European markets have a stronger preference for insulated blade products. That creates different customer expectations and different routes to market.

 

How do customers typically engage with Swegon in this area?

Smoke and fire products are often specified by mechanical and electrical consultants, purchased and installed by contractors, and then maintained by the building owner or end user. We need to support all those stages, but specification is very important because the right solution has to be designed in from the beginning. At the same time, the end user becomes very important after handover because they carry responsibility for ongoing maintenance and compliance.

 

Where can Swegon add the most value beyond the product itself?

We can add value by helping customers understand what they need, why they need it and how to remain compliant over time. That includes product knowledge, control systems, service contracts and support with upgrades. Our role should not be to make things unnecessarily complex, but to assess the customer requirement accurately and provide a solution that fits. In a compliance-driven industry, being a trusted adviser is very important.

 

What does maintenance look like for these systems?

Fire dampers typically require regular inspection, annually, and the exact responsibilities depend on the local regulations and the building. Control systems also need to be kept operational and understood by the people responsible for the building. The physical products can have a long lifespan, but performance depends on correct installation, inspection, maintenance and documentation. That is why the lifecycle perspective is so important.

 

What are the main opportunities for innovation in smoke and fire?

Innovation in smoke and fire is different from many other areas because certification is so important. If you make a significant change to a fire damper, it may need to be retested, so development must be very carefully managed. The opportunity is often to build on a tested baseline and adapt it to different wall types, regulations or market needs. There are also opportunities in expanding the system offering, particularly around control panels, smoke control and smoke shaft systems.

 

How do you see the European market developing?

The European market is shaped by a combination of common safety principles and local regulatory requirements. Expectations can vary between countries, depending on building practices, certification standards and customer needs. For manufacturers and suppliers, it is important to understand these regional differences and avoid assuming that one solution will fit every market.

 

Where do you see AI and digital tools playing a role?

AI can be useful when it takes away repetitive or administrative work and gives people more time to focus on technical development and customer needs. It can also help structure communication, for example when preparing emails or summaries. But in a compliance-heavy area like smoke and fire, we need to be careful. AI should not replace expert judgement or be used as unchecked technical advice. Accuracy and responsibility are too important.

 

Looking ahead, what would you like Swegon to be known for in smoke and fire?

I would like Swegon to be seen as a leading provider of integrated smoke and fire solutions across Europe. That means not only having the right products, but also understanding the full customer requirement, supporting compliance, offering strong control systems and helping customers manage safety over the lifecycle of the building. If we can combine innovation with practical customer focus, there is a strong opportunity to differentiate ourselves.