If you were to ask a designer what makes a great interior, the answer would rarely be a control panel. Yet, the best-looking homes of today often depend on their hidden technologies: lighting that shifts during the day, shades that glide into place, sound that fills a room without a speaker in sight. This is the area that Integrated Systems Europe will explore in 2027, with a show running from 2 to 5 February at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, under the title “When Worlds Unite.”
The theme reflects the change that is happening in how homes get made, as residential technology no longer lives in its own corner but increasingly overlaps with smart buildings, hospitality, energy management, and the everyday tools of connected living. Choices about wiring, networks, and control now sit alongside choices about materials, layout, and light.
Integrated Systems Europe 2027
A growing market with design at its heart
The numbers show how much room there is for this field to keep growing. CEDIA’s UK Smart Home Market Analysis Report puts the residential technology market in the UK alone at around €2.6 billion, of which lighting and shading, home networking, and integrated control lead the way.
What has changed is also what clients want from these systems, as they are now looking for comfort, wellbeing, security, and sustainability, rather than the individual gadgets they valued before. They also expect these qualities to arrive together and feel effortless, creating a market that will benefit designers who understand both the aesthetics of a home and the systems behind it.
When technology is planned early and blended in carefully, it can strengthen the system’s look and feel instead of interrupting it. The challenge is to integrate the best systems discreetly, and ISE 2027 is built to show how.
Hall 1 and 2: Residential & Smart Building Zone
The place to start in the fair is the Residential & Smart Building Zone, spread across Halls 1 and 2. It is a destination for exhibitors responding to the rising demand for smarter spaces, better energy efficiency and stronger connectivity. The show covers architectural lighting and shading, discreet audiovisual equipment, access control, environmental management, energy optimisation, security, and connected infrastructure.
Each of these has become a bigger part of contemporary residences, and seeing them gathered in one area will make it easier to understand and judge how they fit together. Instead of looking at products one at a time, visitors can compare approaches and solutions side by side, exploring how these individual systems become cohesive experiences.
Big names in the field are on the list, including ADI, Control4, KNX and Lutron, each presenting its latest developments. The audio side is just as strong, with Sonos, Bang & Olufsen, FOCAL & NAIM, Dali and Genelec among the brands taking part.
Listening Suites
Sound gets its own dedicated spaces beyond the main halls. The Listening Suites will be in CC2, spotlighting premium and residential audio brands that are making their mark across the industry. Each suite offers a calm, dedicated setting where visitors can hear standout equipment from leading brands. The space is an unhurried way to discover new products and to think about what excellent sound brings to luxury residential projects and specialist listening spaces.
In Hall 8.0, the Audio Demo Rooms take a more comparative approach. More than 20 purpose-built experience rooms host demonstrations across all four days of the show, giving visitors the chance to hear systems in controlled spaces designed for focused listening. The programme highlights the latest audio innovations in a setting made for paying attention, which suits designers, integrators, and enthusiasts alike.
Learning while visiting
Alongside the show floor, the ISE Content Programme adds an educational layer that connects what visitors see with what they can learn. It helps attendees understand the trends shaping residential design and construction, and it follows a project the way the real work unfolds, from early-stage specification and teamwork across disciplines, through installation and handover, to long-term performance.
CEDIA leads the residential strand and has assembled a strong line-up for smart home professionals. Its Smart Home Technology Conference gives attendees a chance to build their technical knowledge, meet peers, and trade ideas. Sessions explore current technologies and trends, and the wider programme creates a welcoming space for practical, shared learning.
Over in Hall 2, the CEDIA Smart Home Technology Stage is free to attend, and it makes an easy stop for anyone curious about where the sector is going. Expert speakers and innovators come together here to discuss the ideas and issues shaping the industry, so visitors can drop in between visits to the exhibitors and leave with something new to think about.
The Smart Spaces Megatrend also returns, offering a clearer view of the trends driving the industry forward. Last year’s edition explored energy efficient management, AI-driven automation and cybersecurity for connected environments. The 2027 programme continues that thread and gives visitors a useful map of what is ahead.
Why it matters
What ISE 2027 offers, above all, is a view of the home as one connected system. When design, construction, and technology work in a step, a house can feel more intuitive, run more efficiently, and respond better to the people living in it. What’s also important is that it can do all of this without giving up the beauty, materials, and character that make an interior worth designing in the first place.
Whether you arrive with a specific project in mind or a general curiosity about residential technology, the show gives you plenty to see, hear, and discuss. It is a chance to see the future of the connected home up close, and to help shape where it goes next.
If you’d like to attend, you can register here for a free ISE visitor badge reserved for DesignWanted readers, using the code ise2027designwanted.
Anna Lazzaron
Anna Lazzaron is a designer, writer, and researcher based in Milan and Barcelona, working across material exploration and speculative practices.
