Charging Ahead

At the time of this writing, the EW team has just returned home from Interlift 2022 (the event report will be in our next issue). It was nice to be among our international friends again, to share meals, talk business and witness the return of normalcy to the industry. Though it may not be until 2023 that we have a fully normalized world, it is in sight and most welcome. In these pages, we cover other noteworthy events, including the 17th International Asansör Istanbul in Finally Made It. After three years apart, the event took place in Istanbul in March and welcomed more than 22,000 visitors, many from Middle East and Gulf countries. The 11th International Seminar on Elevators and Escalators was held in Iran in late February, bringing together experts, professors, industrialists and foreign guests.

In this issue, we also look forward: we explore global market trends, codes and standards, new products and modernization. We also look at Residential Lifts and Accessibility, a growing area of importance in our industry.

We feature several noteworthy projects, including the National Bank of Kuwait Tower in A Pearl of a Place. This skyscraper is a major landmark in Kuwait City and offers a fresh TK Elevator vertical transportation style to the Middle East. In Building Up the Scene, Toshiba Elevator Middle East, LLC of Dubai, shares its completed elevator work on Address Beach and Resort in Fujairah City, U.A.E. Panoramic in Abu Dhabi shares the story of one of MASSAED Installation of Elevators and Escalators’ most challenging projects, an elevator makeover for the U.A.E. Ministry of Culture.

Another featured project, Shopping Solutions, is part of our Focus on Residential Lifts and Accessibility. It explores how large urban centers, like this one in Spain, are adapting their services to the needs of citizens. In Luxury Accessibility Solutions, we look at a new offering for the home lift market as demand increases.

Finally, we look at market trends. In Elevators 2020 – A Global View, Louis Bialy takes a wide ranging, deep look at macro trends and their implications for VT. In COVID-19 Impact, Outlook, a sixth industry survey reveals challenges including material shortages and bright spots, such as employment. There is no slowing down this industry that continues to innovate, create and respond to the world, quickly and effectively.