Building automation has long since ceased to be a niche, but is increasingly emphatically forming the backbone of modern building and installation practices. We speak with Richard Daamen, managing director at Belimo and president of FHI Building Automation.
"Where it used to be mostly about individual products and installations, the focus is shifting to smart systems that not only make buildings more comfortable, but also more energy efficient and future-proof," says Daamen. And that future is bright. Building automation in the future will ensure that buildings respond automatically to users' presence and preferences: lighting that adjusts to daylight, climate systems that respond to personal settings, cleaning rounds that rely on calendar data. All controlled and connected through one smart system, often invisible but all the more effective.
Full control buildings
Daamen: "It sounds futuristic, but a lot of technology is already available. The challenge is in integration, standardization and acceptance. Building automation should not be seen as a complicated luxury, but as a natural part of a building.
The road from product to service
When Daamen started at Belimo, a Swiss manufacturer of actuators, valves and sensors, thirteen years ago, everything was still about the product. "Everyone shouted: look what I have for you. But that's not the core," he says. The market asked for more: for relief, for guidance, for knowledge. So Belimo transformed from product supplier to service-oriented company. Training, advice, prefab assembly ("prefix"), retrofit solutions and recycling are now fixed pillars of service.
Everyone who visits VSK+E 2026 should go home smarter.Richard Daamen, President FHI Building Automation
This shift did not come out of the blue. Installations have become more complex and technological innovations follow each other in rapid succession. At the same time, the sector is struggling with a shortage of skilled professionals. The result: a knowledge gap that can only be closed through close cooperation and intensive knowledge sharing. "Innovative we all are, but in practice also conservative. We find new technology exciting, and lack of knowledge causes us to prefer to stick with the familiar," says Daamen.
For companies like Belimo, this also meant a different way of working. The focus was no longer on the product, but on customer demand. How can failure costs be reduced? How can a shortage of mechanics be addressed? How can a building be made smarter without immediately investing millions? The answers often lie in smart upgrades and automation. Daamen cites examples where just replacing outdated valves led to 30 to 60 percent energy savings. With a payback period of three to four months, these are no small successes.
Smarter together
This is exactly where the industry association comes in. Within FHI, building automation forms one of the four pillars, with Daamen as chairman. The association connects system integrators, installers, building owners and consultants and creates a platform for knowledge sharing. His motto: smarter together. "I don't know everything either, but when we share knowledge, we all get further. Alone you may go faster, but together you get further. It's about learning to speak each other's language and understanding each other's challenges."
In doing so, FHI actively seeks cooperation with other organizations, such as Association of Building Owners where the person is a member. Through knowledge sessions - the first is on Oct. 8 - FHI members are brought into contact with members of the association in order to come up with better solutions together. Daamen: "The next step is also the Association of Building Owners, but then the business side. Another association with its own issues, which we can look at together."
We do have an answer to all questions
"That knowledge and expertise will become visible in the FHI pavilion during VSK+E 2026," continued Daamen. "In our pavilion, visitors can find inspiration, practical answers and meetings with experts from different corners of the sector. It's not only about bringing knowledge, but also about getting knowledge. Everyone who visits VSK+E 2026 should go home smarter."
