The CEO´s Statement on Sustainability
(Published March 20, 2024)
The year 2023 was a period of major changes for Bittium. We updated our strategy and are moving on to a new stage as a company, with the goal being profitable growth. Our business operations must be profitable and sustainable so that we can provide work and well-being for our personnel while also taking into consideration our customers, investors and other stakeholders. From this perspective, the focus areas of our sustainability program are still highly relevant to us.
Success can only be achieved with competent personnel. Nevertheless, we had to make painful decisions regarding our personnel in the fall when we reorganized our business operations. The changes and the uncertainty they brought were also reflected in the results of our employee survey we conducted in January. For example, the employee commitment index decreased slightly.
Our position as a pioneer of technology requires that our personnel actively maintain and develop their own expertise in the continuously changing operating environment. We focus on keeping abreast of the latest technologies, tools, legislation, and other regulations. As a trailblazer, we also need to have insight into technological trends and the development of the operating environment.
The prevailing uncertainty around the world has also reflected our operations. Trust, which is one of our core values, takes on even greater importance in times like these. It is one of the pillars of our “Customers and Information Security´ focus area, and we measure it annually in connection with our customer satisfaction survey. Our customers must be able to trust us and our products and expertise in a world where the significance of information security, for example, is higher than ever before. We must stay on the leading edge of developments, which is why we actively participate in information security development projects in Finland and internationally.
The quality of our work and the satisfaction of our customers are a high priority for us. We measure this regularly with customer satisfaction surveys. Despite the fact that 2023 was a year of major changes, we succeeded to serve our customers well, and our customer satisfaction result improved compared to the previous year. We humbly accept this feedback and continue the systematic work to serve our customers in the best possible way.
Due to the nature of our business and the fact that our customers operate in critical sectors of society, ethical principles and responsible business practices are vital for us. We observe a very wide range of requirements issued by the authorities and ensure compliance and strict adherence to deadlines.
In 2023, we began preparing for the introduction of digital product passports by proactively collecting data into our product information management system. The digital product passport is part of the new circular economy package published by the European Commission.
At Bittium, environmentally sustainable operations mean responsibility for mitigating the climate change and developing resource-efficient solutions. The most notable environmental impacts of Bittium´s products occur during the last stage of the life cycle, that is, recycling. We apply the rules laid out in the EU´s Ecodesign Regulation in our product design and development. Our secure smartphone, Bittium Tough Mobile 2, fulfills the requirements of the Regulation, which entered into force in 2023.
We are actively committed to combating climate change. We strive to invest in renewable energy, reduce travelling, recycle waste efficiently and strive to maximize the beneficial use of waste. We have been calculating our carbon footprint since 2018. In 2023, our carbon footprint was lower than ever before.
Our long-term sustainability efforts were recognized last year with a silver medal in the EcoVadis sustainability ratings. We were ranked in the top 25 percent globally among the assessed companies.
Sustainability is an integral part of Bittium´s operations. We want to develop our operations and processes and do our part in building a better future.
Johan Westermarck
CEO