Hope in the Future

As we come to the end of 2023, it is with some unrest. Wars persist in parts of Europe and the Middle East. Climate issues inflict other strains, making it seem like even Earth itself is upset that humans are not paying enough attention to its needs. It is sometimes hard to be hopeful, but all around there are signals of change for the better, at least in the building industry.

Despite a construction industry crisis in Western Europe and China, a survey taken during interlift 2023 (which will be covered at length in our next issue) revealed that a majority of participants believe it will get better in the next year or two. Though there is a global shortage of skilled workers, VFA Forum speakers at interlift 2023 used their sessions to address the problem and pose solutions. The “work from home” rate is finally turning around in the U.K. and the U.S., the two countries that have had the most people working from home for the longest time. More people are back in the office now and for most of the week. In the past, much has been written about the carbon released from the manufacture of building materials such as cement and steel. Now, there is a move to create “green cement” that captures carbon, and buildings built of timber are coming back into fashion. All these items give me hope as we move into a new year.

This issue, we have many reports on events. This, too, is a hopeful sign for the industry. All were well attended and presented education and new products that show the strength and resilience of this industry.

• The 14th Symposium on Lift and Escalator Technologies in Northampton, always a popular event, welcomed 130 participants from 16 countries this year. Attended by ELEVATOR WORLD UK Correspondent Madeleine Olausson for the first time, the symposium saw many returning attendees, along with its share of newcomers. Twenty papers were presented over the two days, and special recognition was given to the late Dr. Gina Barney.
• Buildings by Boat, also by Olausson, highlights a popular networking event by CTBUH London. More than 120 professionals from the fields of engineering, architecture, lift manufacturing and more gathered for the boat trip along the Thames that also included some enlightening education.
• WEE Expo 2023 – Shanghai by EW Correspondent Peng Jie chronicles the exposition’s return following a three-year hiatus. The event’s next iteration is already in the works, planned for May 2024.
• Rising Higher Together by Süleyman Özcan covers KLEEMANN’s 40th anniversary event held at the company’s headquarters in Greece.
• Big News for interlift shares the announcement of the event’s big move from Augsburg to Nuremberg, Germany.

We focus on Maintenance this issue with three offerings:

• Elevator Monitoring Solutions, submitted by Vantage. Vantage brings 40-plus years of experience in monitoring solutions in the U.K. to North America.
• Open Data Platform for Lift Optimised Service: An Opportunity for SMEs in the Lift Industry, submitted by David Abadia, et al.
• The Benefits of Refurbished Variable Frequency Drives, by David Griffin. Refurbished drives save time, money and resources.

We wish you good health and prosperity for the rest of 2023. We will see you around the elevator world in 2024.