We close 2022 on the heels of many big industry events, some of which will be reported on in this publication’s next issue. The global ELEVATOR WORLD team has recently attended LIFTEX 2022 in the U.K., the National Association of Elevator Contractors in the U.S., Lift Expo Italia in Italy, SILC 2022 in Spain and much more. All of these events proved successful. It is good to be back out among our industry friends from around the world. We expect to see many more of you in 2023, as we move past the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we look forward to it.
In this issue, we’re pleased to report on several additional impactful events. In Transformational Roadmap, Senior Associate Editor Kaija Wilkinson reports on the inaugural KONE Experience, a two-day event held in Finland that explored how technology facilitates sustainability, productivity and an improved vertical-transportation (VT) user experience. In A Dynamic, Promising Way, Bülent Yılmaz reports on the Second International Ascen.tec event held in Athens, Greece. Yilmaz also reports on the ELA Conference 2022, held in Frankfurt, Germany, after a three-year hiatus.
In addition to events, we look at trends in the market this issue. In Global Elevator Industry Pulse, author Wilkinson fleshes out the results of the eighth industry survey by Elevator World, Inc., VFA Interlift e.V. and AFAG, in association with Credit Suisse, which finds that although COVID-19 is a less dominant driver of sentiment, familiar challenges, including materials shortages and inflation, persist. In Nairobi Rising, EW Correspondent Shem Oirere discusses that city’s improved business environment and bright future, which is reflected in KONE’s VT order for the new GTC skyscraper.
Our focus this issue is on Escalators and Moving Walks. In Accessible and Avant-Garde by Helena Calado, TK Elevator provides 12 escalators to San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain. In Common Escalator and Handrail Accidents and Their Causes by Erol Akçay, we learn that most accidents on these devices are due to insufficient maintenance and incorrect material selection.
We close an eventful year with EW’s 2022 Photo Contest, its 10th iteration, which is distinguished by a global feel and a human touch. Enjoy the beauty of our elevator world reflected in these photos. We wish you a very Happy New Year and look forward to sharing more industry news and events with you in 2023.
Get more of Elevator World. Sign up for our free e-newsletter.