At H&M Group, we are at the forefront of revolutionizing the fashion and design industry through groundbreaking technology and a steadfast commitment to sustainability. Since our inception in 1947, we have grown from a single womenswear store in Västerås, Sweden, into a global powerhouse with a family of unique brands. Our innovation focus is deeply embedded in our mission to make great fashion and design accessible to everyone, while simultaneously leading the charge towards a more circular and climate-positive future. We are pioneering new solutions across our value chain, from investing in cutting-edge recycling technologies like the Green Machine, which aims to recycle clothing in a way similar to aluminum cans, to exploring new business models such as resell, rental, and remade fashion. Our commitment extends to leveraging technology to enhance the customer experience, as seen with our ventures into the metaverse and the integration of AI-driven robotic systems in our fulfillment operations. We are also dedicated to transforming our supply chains to be more sustainable, with ambitious goals to reduce our carbon footprint and water usage significantly.
Our technological advancements are not just about products and processes; they are about creating a more connected and responsive ecosystem. We utilize platforms like Microsoft Power Platform to empower our citizen developers and maintain robust security and governance across thousands of internally developed solutions. Furthermore, H&M Group Ventures actively invests in entrepreneur-led companies focused on sustainable fashion, new retail concepts, and enabling technologies, fostering an ecosystem of innovation that extends beyond our own operations. We believe in the power of collaboration and are actively working with partners and investing in research to develop and scale planet-positive solutions, such as carbon-capturing materials and advanced recycling. Through these concerted efforts, H&M Group is not just adapting to the future of fashion; we are actively shaping it, driven by a vision where fashion, technology, and sustainability coexist to create unbeatable value for our customers and a positive impact on the planet.