IKEA's real innovation is not in your living room
In a series of blog posts, Marco Coolen offers a glimpse into his work as a Dutch and European patent attorney at AOMB.
Published on May 31, 2026
Marco, a patent attorney at AOMB since 2013, shares his expertise on IO+ about patents—how they work, why they matter, and when they lose their value.
Many people associate innovation with spectacular products. New gadgets, striking designs, something that immediately catches the eye. But sometimes, the real innovation is somewhere else.
Take IKEA’s Billy bookcase. A few shelves. Some screws. A cabinet you can assemble in an hour. From the outside, it almost seems too simple to be innovative. But those who look more closely see that the real innovation is not standing in the living room. It is in everything that happens before that.
Marco Coolen, photo © Bart van Overbeeke
Thinking from the system
When IKEA designs a cabinet, the process does not start with the design. It starts with questions such as: How quickly can this be produced in the factory? How efficiently does it fit into a warehouse? How many fit in a truck? How easily can someone assemble it at home?
That may sound like logistics. But in fact, it is engineering. Every step in the chain is optimized. Assembly must be faster. Errors must be reduced. Packages must be smaller. Returns cost money. Safety must never be an afterthought.
Small improvements, big impact
When you look at a product in this way, a continuous stream of improvements emerges. Even when the product has already been successful for years.
At IKEA, this can be seen in all kinds of technical details:
2000s – Further development of cam-lock connections. Faster assembly and sturdier constructions.
2020 – Anti-tip mechanisms. New safety solutions following stricter regulations.
2022 – Drawer interlocks. Systems that prevent multiple drawers from opening at the same time.
2025 – Optimized wood panel grooves and mattress packaging. More efficient transport in flat-pack form.
These are not design updates. This is production engineering.
The difference between a product and a system
The shelf of a bookcase is easy to copy. A shelf is wood. A screw is a screw. But the system behind it is much harder to replicate. It is about the combination of smart connection technology, efficient packaging, safe constructions, logistical optimization, and simple assembly.
Together, this forms an integrated system. And systems are harder to copy than individual products.
Protection where it matters
Many of these technical improvements are exactly the kind of innovations that can be protected. Not the appearance of a cabinet, but the way in which parts work together. An improved connection, a new safety mechanism, more efficient packaging. They are often small interventions, but they determine how well a product works.
The real lesson
IKEA sells furniture. But beneath the surface, it is building something else: systems. Systems that make production more efficient. Systems that make logistics smarter. Systems that make assembly easier.
And that is exactly why a seemingly simple bookcase is so difficult to copy. The shelf is visible. But the real innovation lies in everything around it.