Cluster Member Update: Innovation, Well-Being and the Neurocass Chair

One of the members of the Baltic Furniture Cluster has recently been actively exploring international markets while developing innovative furniture solutions focused on health, well-being, and inclusion. Their participation in international industry events and ongoing product development reflects the cluster’s commitment to creating high value-added solutions through collaboration, research, and design.

Below they share an update on their recent activities, including participation in the January Furniture Show in Birmingham and the development of the innovative “Neurocass” sensory chair designed to support emotional regulation and well-being.

From Birmingham to Purpose-Driven Innovation in the Baltic Furniture Sector

Recently, our team has been working at two speeds simultaneously: on the one hand, actively engaging with international markets, and on the other, purposefully developing innovative furniture solutions related to health, well-being, and inclusion for people with disabilities. These two directions naturally converged, resulting in a clear outcome that we would like to share with our partners.

Birmingham: what the market truly values today

At the beginning of this year, we participated in the January Furniture Show in Birmingham, one of the most important meeting points for the UK furniture and interiors industry. For us, the exhibition was valuable not only for networking but also as a reliable barometer of current market expectations.

Conversations with buyers, partners, and representatives from the medical and healthcare sectors highlighted several clear trends:

• furniture is increasingly perceived not as a standalone object, but as part of a broader experience;

• There is a growing demand for solutions that contribute to improved well-being, calmness, and focus.

• technology in furniture must be meaningful, subtle, and reliable — not merely declarative.

These signals are strongly aligned with the direction we have been pursuing for some time.

The “Neurocass” chair – when furniture becomes an infrastructure for calm and well-being.

One of our most distinctive ongoing projects is “Neurocass”, an innovative sensory chair designed to help neurodivergent individuals — especially children — regulate emotions and reduce sensory overload in both public and private spaces.

“Neurocass” has been developed based on research and specialist recommendations, with a clearly defined goal: to create a safe and calming environment in a short period of time, enabling the user to return to everyday activities in a more balanced emotional state.

The chair integrates several harmonised solutions:

• a cocoon-like form that creates a sense of safety and comfort;

• an AI-controlled system that adapts in real time to the user’s reactions;

• an LED light canopy with 2,592 coloured LED lights designed for light and colour therapy;

• a spatial 4+1 sound system with a low-frequency (LFE) speaker positioned beneath the chair;

• an automatically inflatable seat and backrest mechanism for gentle deep-pressure therapy.

A particularly important aspect, especially for public spaces, is privacy and safety. The system does not store data or transmit information to servers; all processing is carried out locally and in real time.

Cluster value: solutions born through collaboration

“Neurocass” is the result of the joint project “Development of Export Markets for the Baltic Furniture Cluster.” It demonstrates how a cluster-based approach enables not only the sharing of export experience but also the creation of higher value-added solutions by combining design, manufacturing, technology, and research.

As members of the Baltic Furniture Cluster, we clearly see the practical benefits: innovation becomes not a series of isolated experiments, but a set of focused, market-ready initiatives.

Looking ahead

In the coming period, we plan to continue testing and developing the “Neurocass” solution together with partners, particularly in educational and therapeutic environments, while also exploring new international collaboration opportunities through the cluster network.

We believe that the future of furniture lies not only in form or material, but in the ability to create a better everyday experience.