This week, architectural and interior design services company Aukett Swanke Group (ASG) has confirmed the acquisition of smart building technology company Torpedo Factory Group (TFG), in a deal that hints at a new potential trend in the commercial buildings sector. While architects have used M&A to broaden their technological capabilities in the past, few deals bridge the building design-operation divide like this one. In this research note, we explore the deal with TFG’s CEO and consider the wider impacts of such vertical integration becoming a trend. Headquartered at an old WWII torpedo factory in London, TFG is a long-established audio-visual provider that has recently developed into a managed service provider for smart buildings. Through their Intelligent Environments division, they combine embedded systems, information, and communication technologies to enhance occupant experiences. Now operating with about 70 staff over four locations, the firm achieves an annual turnover of around £10 million ($12.3 million). Also headquartered in London, […]