Top 10 Outdoor Lighting Companies in Europe (2026 Update)
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Europe’s outdoor lighting market in 2026 is no longer just about “good luminaires.” Cities now want smart, connected lighting systems that can talk to each other. They look for open standards like Zhaga, D4i, and NEMA, and they demand long-term energy savings. This matches the EU Green Deal and the new rules that push countries to use less energy by 2030
If you build street lights or run city projects, one question stands out. Which European brands should you choose as long-term partners for your lighting projects over the decade?
The list below gives you a B2B, project-focused view of the Top 10 outdoor lighting companies in Europe, and then connects that list to the reality on the pole: smart controllers, photocell and фотоконтрольный разъем choices, and Жага / NEMA compatibility.
How Should You Use This “Top 10” List As A Manufacturer Or EPC?
You can treat this list as a map of who does what best in Europe:
- Some groups are strongest in road and tunnel lighting.
- Others lead in architectural, historic centre, or park projects.
- A few, like Valmont / Tehomet, dominate poles and structures rather than luminaires.
Most of these brands now ship luminaires that accept standardized interfaces such as Жага Книга 18 или NEMA 7-контактные розетки, so you can plug in your own smart controller, photocell for street light control, or wireless node.
Component specialists like Long-Join sit exactly at this interface layer, providing:
- Жага розетки, such as theZhaga Book 18 JL-700 zhaga socket with DALI dimming,
- NEMA 7-pin photocontrol receptaclefamilies such as JL-240XA and the 7-pin category,
- And smart controllers like theNB-IoT wireless street light photocell controller.
Which Are The Top 10 Outdoor Lighting Companies In Europe In 2026?
Before we look at each brand in detail, here is a quick overview:
Brand | Core Strength In Outdoor Lighting | Typical Smart-City Focus |
Signify (Philips) | Large-scale city lighting, connected systems (Interact) | Cloud-based management, APIs, data analytics |
Schréder | Municipal road & urban lighting | Owlet / EXEDRA smart platforms, strong IoT orientation |
Thorn (Zumtobel Group) | Road, tunnel, and public infrastructure lighting | “Light that connects” and integrated controls |
Trilux | German-engineered outdoor and façade lighting | Smart-city ready, sustainability and service focus |
Siteco | Road, sport, and industrial outdoor lighting | Digital solutions, lighting control and refurbishment |
iGuzzini | Premium architectural and landscape lighting | Energy-efficient upgrades in historic and cultural sites |
Fagerhult Group | Group of brands (WE-EF, i-Valo, etc.) strong in Nordics & DACH | Responsive street lighting and motion-based dimming |
Valmont / Tehomet | Decorative and smart poles | Structural backbone for smart poles and attached equipment |
Selux | Urban design lighting, waterfronts, parks | Modular luminaires with smart options for public spaces |
Gewiss | Strong in Italy and Southern Europe, smart lighting & e-mobility synergy | Sports, roads, and integration with energy/EV infrastructure |
Why Is Signify (Philips Lighting) Still The Smart Lighting Benchmark?
Означать is the company behind the Philips name. It says it is the world’s top lighting brand, with many connected professional systems worldwide. For cities, its value lies in the Interact platform: you can monitor and control individual light points, dim groups of luminaires, and push schedules from the cloud.
For you as a manufacturer or EPC:
- Signify is a safe anchor brand for flagship smart-city corridors.
- Their systems are typically open enough to connect with standard photocellinputs and external controllers via Zhaga-D4i or NEMA where specified.
How Does Schréder Lead Municipal Roadway Lighting Across Europe?
Schréder is one of Europe’s most visible names in public lighting, with a strong installed base in France, Belgium, the UK, Spain and Portugal. Its Owlet и EXEDRA platforms provide IoT-based remote control that can dim lights based on presence, traffic, or time, and projects have reported energy savings above 80% in some deployments.
For tender work, Schréder is a strong choice when:
- The city wants serious dimming and monitoring, with a proven track record.
- You need compatibility with smart nodes, photocell lighting sensorinputs, and a mix of wireless protocols (LoRa, NB-IoT, etc.).
What Makes Thorn Lighting A Key Player For Roads And Infrastructure?
Thorn, part of the Zumtobel Group, has a long history of serving road and tunnel lighting projects. Their public messaging stresses road safety, visual comfort, and environmental protection, with dedicated road-lighting solutions across Europe.
You typically see Thorn on:
- National or regional road networks.
- Urban ring roads, tunnels and underpasses.
- Projects where long-term lifecycle cost (LCC)and maintainability are part of the scoring.
Why Do German Cities Trust Trilux For Outdoor And Smart City Projects?
Trilux presents itself as a provider of complete outdoor lighting solutions. It covers safe street lights and building fronts, with a focus on green service.
Where Trilux shines for you:
- Projects that combine road lighting with façade or campus lighting, and the city wants one coherent look.
- Municipalities that talk about “smart city turbo” and see lighting as a backbone for digital services.
How Does Siteco Build On A Century Of German Lighting Engineering?
Siteco has more than 150–160 years of lighting history and positions itself as a provider of benchmark lighting technology “Made in Germany,” with strong portfolios in city, sport and industrial outdoor lighting.
You often meet Siteco when:
- A German or DACH client insists on local engineering and manufacturing.
- There is a mix of urban streets, schools, sport fields and logistics areas in one program.
Where Does iGuzzini Fit In The Mix Of Architecture And Public Space?
iGuzzini is famous for lighting buildings and outdoor spaces. Many old European city centers use its lights to keep streets comfortable, protect history, and stay efficient. In Ávila’s historic centre, for example, the switch to iGuzzini LED luminaires brought energy savings of around 60% while improving visual quality.
As a partner, iGuzzini is ideal when:
- The client is a heritage city or iconic public space.
- Light quality, glare control, and careful integration with architecture are more important than pure lumen output.
Why Does The Fagerhult Group Matter Far Beyond The Nordics?
Fagerhult Group owns lighting brands like WE-EF, i-Valo, и Ateljé Lyktan. It has a strong base in Northern Europe and Germany. They focus on safe, comfortable public spaces. Their street lights respond to motion with smart dimming and controls.
For harsh Nordic or industrial climates, Fagerhult’s combination of rugged housings and smart control options makes them attractive in tenders that:
- Demand high IP and IK ratings.
- Combine energy savings with visibility and safety in dark winters.
Why Are Valmont / Tehomet Poles So Important For Smart Poles?
Valmont Structures and its Finnish subsidiary Tehomet are not luminaire brands; they are specialists in decorative and functional poles. Tehomet calls itself Europe’s leading manufacturer of decorative lighting poles, and Valmont supplies decorative and utility structures used across many smart-city projects.
Whenever a city proposes:
- Smart poles with 5G, cameras, loudspeakers and sensors, or
- High-end wooden or custom steel poles for city centres,
you often see Valmont / Tehomet in the structural package.
How Does Selux Shape Sustainable Urban And Waterfront Lighting?
Selux makes lights for cities, like waterfronts, parks, walks, and paths. Their project portfolio includes many public-space upgrades where lighting plays a role in the new urban design. Their modular products are built to support and integrate smart functions.
For you, Selux is interesting where:
- The project team includes urban designers and landscape architects.
- There is a strong sustainability and “human-centric” story.
Why Should You Watch Gewiss In Southern European Projects?
Gewiss is a key Italian brand that offers smart lighting along with building automation, power distribution and e-mobility solutions.
That combination matters when:
- A municipality wants street lighting, car park lighting and EV charging under one integrated scheme.
- The client prefers a vendor who can discuss both electrical infrastructure and luminaires.
How Are Zhaga, NEMA And Photocell Controls Changing Your Supplier Choices?
Behind every “top 10 luminaires” conversation, there is a quiet interface battle: how will your controller, node or light photocell sensor physically connect to the luminaire?
- Жага Книга 18defines a compact interface for outdoor luminaires and sensing/communication nodes. It standardizes mechanical fit, power and communication so that certified nodes and luminaires can interoperate.
- NEMA / ANSI C136.41 7-pininterfaces remain common, especially in retrofits, because they accept twist-lock photocontrols and smart controllers.
Long-Join’s portfolio is built around exactly these standards:
- Zhaga Book 18 JL-700 zhaga socketfor compact nodes and DALI-based dimming.
- JL-240XA and related NEMA 7-pin receptaclesfor twist-lock nodes and classic photocell control
- A family of remote street light controllers, includingNB-IoT street light photocell controllers and ZigBee master controllers that turn a simple dusk-to-dawn switch into a fully monitored node.
Заключение
In the end, Europe’s outdoor lighting market is not about memorising brand names; it’s about choosing the right partner mix for each project.
Match each job to the right maker. Use roads, heritage streets, and smart poles with brands that support open interfaces like Zhaga and NEMA. Then add reliable photocell and control hardware. This turns a complex market into a clear, scalable plan for smart-city lighting over the next decade.
Внешние ссылки:
●https://www.zhagastandard.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=340:zhaga-enables-iot-upgradeable-outdoor-led-lighting-fixtures&catid=22
●https://www.nema.org/standards/technical/led-dimming
●https://www.cemexventures.com/life-cycle-costing-llc-what-is/




