![Clarke pushes SFA to secure updated employment contract Clark added: “Obviously we got to March and I hadn’t been offered a new contract, which I thought was pretty strange. You start to think are they hedging their bets a little bit, waiting on the tournament in the summer.” “So I did a little bit in the media in March to give the SFA a little shove. We negotiated non‑stop from the beginning of April really to the middle of May, just before the Curacao game.” “And I said to them if we don’t agree a new contract before we go to the World Cup then I will say I am leaving the job. They panicked a little bit and gave me the new contract.” “It was like drawing teeth trying to get it over the line. But we got it over the line anyway.” “But I always knew in my head that if we did not get out of the group stage then I would probably leave. The only way I would have stayed on is if they had been three fantastic games and they went against you.” Scotland beat Haiti 1‑0 but lost by the same score to Morocco before a 3‑0 loss to Brazil left them waiting for an unlikely series of results to allow them to progress as one of the better third‑place sides. “We had to stay for four or five days [in Charlotte], the longest four or five days ever just sitting and waiting, knowing you are going home because the goal difference was not good enough,” he recalled. “I knew we needed four points. I got hammered in the media for saying that. Somebody hammered me for saying, ‘nah, that’s us, we are going home’. But I was right.” Clarke revealed he spoke to several senior players following the Brazil game and sensed that they needed to hear a different voice if they are to make history by reaching the knockout stage at Euro 2028. Meantime, he spoke to new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli last week to wish him well and believes “even Scotland” cannot fail to qualify given two spots in the finals will be reserved for the best‑ranked host who have not qualified as a group winner or runner‑up.](https://i1.wp.com/ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/branded_sport/1200/cpsprodpb/ce0a/live/51cc6050-a912-11f1-b109-879e35c24276.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1 "Clarke pushes SFA to secure updated employment contract Clark added: “Obviously we got to March and I hadn’t been offered a new contract, which I thought was pretty strange. You start to think are they hedging their bets a little bit, waiting on the tournament in the summer.” “So I did a little bit in the media in March to give the SFA a little shove. We negotiated non‑stop from the beginning of April really to the middle of May, just before the Curacao game.” “And I said to them if we don’t agree a new contract before we go to the World Cup then I will say I am leaving the job. They panicked a little bit and gave me the new contract.” “It was like drawing teeth trying to get it over the line. But we got it over the line anyway.” “But I always knew in my head that if we did not get out of the group stage then I would probably leave. The only way I would have stayed on is if they had been three fantastic games and they went against you.” Scotland beat Haiti 1‑0 but lost by the same score to Morocco before a 3‑0 loss to Brazil left them waiting for an unlikely series of results to allow them to progress as one of the better third‑place sides. “We had to stay for four or five days [in Charlotte], the longest four or five days ever just sitting and waiting, knowing you are going home because the goal difference was not good enough,” he recalled. “I knew we needed four points. I got hammered in the media for saying that. Somebody hammered me for saying, ‘nah, that’s us, we are going home’. But I was right.” Clarke revealed he spoke to several senior players following the Brazil game and sensed that they needed to hear a different voice if they are to make history by reaching the knockout stage at Euro 2028. Meantime, he spoke to new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli last week to wish him well and believes “even Scotland” cannot fail to qualify given two spots in the finals will be reserved for the best‑ranked host who have not qualified as a group winner or runner‑up.")
This year’s IFA carries the motto “The Future is Now.” Haier, the Chinese home‑appliance and consumer‑electronics conglomerate, has interpreted that theme in Berlin with its own slogan, “Home of Intelligent Possibilities.”
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At IFA 2026, Haier is presenting its vision of intelligent living—a home where connected appliances and AI go beyond mere assistance to anticipate residents’ needs.
Euronews interviewed Haier Europe CEO Neil Tunstall to discuss what lies beyond the smart home and how quickly these concepts could reach the market.
Beyond the smart home
The goal is to move beyond the smart home toward what Haier terms the intelligent home—a system centered on people rather than individual products.
Rather than focusing on isolated devices, Haier aims to create interconnected systems that adapt to users and their daily routines.
A core element of this vision is to make technology more intuitive, lessening the mental effort required for routine household chores.
“In cooking, for example, the appliance could see what’s inside, ensure it’s prepared correctly, and eliminate the guesswork of users who aren’t confident about oven timing,” Tunstall said.
“The appliance will handle that for you, hopefully allowing us to enjoy home‑cooked meals more fully.”
Sustainability in the intelligent home
Beyond convenience, Haier’s push for smarter, connected appliances is also driven by sustainability, a priority highlighted by Tunstall.
“When you consider the full lifecycle—from manufacturing and logistics to the trucks on the road—the dominant impact for our sector comes from usage, since electrical appliances consume significant electricity and water,” he said.
For Tunstall, lessening appliances’ environmental footprint also involves examining their in‑home use, where smart technology can optimize energy consumption.
Haier’s “end-to-end innovation”
Sustainability is also factored into production. Haier calls this “end‑to‑end innovation,” applying AI and data throughout development, manufacturing, and delivery.
“We have vast amounts of big data that reveal how people use products, which programs they select, how they load the washing machine, and what they do with them. This information enables us to devise new use cases and innovations,” Tunstall said.
According to Tunstall, the goal is to leverage this data not just for product development but also to streamline manufacturing and distribution processes.
To advance these technologies, Haier is planning substantial investment in the coming years.
“Over the next five years, we will allocate 13 billion to AI, robotics, R&D, advanced engineering, and related areas,” Tunstall said.
Tunstall says the investment aims to accelerate the development and deployment of new technologies across Haier’s product portfolio.
“Our aim is to innovate in order to deliver greater value to consumers and trade partners. That 13‑billion investment will speed up the time it takes to bring innovations to market, enabling faster creation of new ideas and use cases across all product categories.”
‘We do not want to replace the human’
Tunstall envisions a future where connected devices may be complemented by humanoid robots. For him, preserving the human element is essential to avoid a sci‑fi scenario where robots simply replace people.
“We are not seeking to replace humans,” Tunstall said.
“However, robotics can handle basic chores—think robot vacuum cleaners or lawn‑mowing robots. With AI, these machines could take over many of the routine tasks we currently perform ourselves.”
Regarding timing, Tunstall believes this future may arrive sooner than many expect.
“I expect our industry to roll out these innovations quickly; progress tends to be faster than we anticipate.”
Although the technology is not yet mature, Tunstall is optimistic that it will reach consumers soon—both abroad and in Europe.
“We need to commercialize these technologies and bring them to market; they aren’t available yet, but they should arrive shortly within the industry.”
From innovation to the market
However, launching new technology also requires tailoring it to diverse consumers. Haier’s global footprint enables it to develop technologies and components worldwide, then adapt the final products to local habits and preferences.
“The Chinese consumer prepares meals quite differently from the British consumer, as you can imagine,” he told Euronews.
These variations extend beyond continents; Tunstall notes that there is no single archetypal European consumer either.
“The French consumer differs from the broader European market, and the English consumer varies greatly from Italians. Even within Europe, we face many distinct consumer profiles, so we must listen closely to individual needs and deliver the products they want.”
For now, some of Haier’s concepts remain just that—concepts. However, Tunstall suggests visitors may not have to wait long to see which of these ideas will move from the exhibition floor to the market.
“We’ll return next year as well, possibly launching some of the concepts we are presenting today.”
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