Elevator technologies must for creating sustainable smart cities

Wolfgang Marzin, CEO, Messe Frankfurt GmbH

Elevator technologies are key in ensuring sustainability in smart cities of the future.

India is the second largest elevator market with expected growth of 16 per cent CAGR. How do you see this market growing?
India is one of the biggest markets in the world. It is a market with huge and young population. As per report, 70 per cent of this population will reside in the cities in the future. This will give rise to demand for high-rise buildings which will in turn necessitate need for high-speed elevators which is crucial and safe. The growing infrastructure projects in the country like horizontal transports, airports, malls, skyscrapers will need high-speed elevator and thus accelerates the elevators market in the country. International Elevator & Escalator Expo is the industry show which aims to serve the elevator industry by bringing several indigenous as well as foreign technologies in the elevators sector to the fore for the infrastructure sector to get acquaintance under one common platform.

How has been the industry participation in this year’s edition and how is the industry perceiving the expo?
I see a very positive market. What the industry is doing and their offerings can be found at one common platform. So, this is an industry gathering for the industry and by the industry catering to the industry. We have witnessed huge turnaround of varied industry participants coming from different section within the industry coming across innovative technology and product portfolios presentations. The visitors as well as exhibitors are actively involved through industry seminars and presentations thus facilitating exchange of knowledge and innovative ideas. Our key take away from the expo is satisfied customers as well as satisfied exhibitors, as we play a medium for facilitating industry business engagements. We aim at improving from last year’s show and keep innovating and upgrading until our next expo.

In recent times, India has moved towards trend of high-rise buildings. How is elevators market catering to these growing demands?
The Indian market has been really impressive off late. The government has shown positive prospects along with support of industry associations and well-organised industry players for the elevators market. Today without elevators, there would be no high-rise. It is due to technologically advanced elevators, that high-rise structures are seeing the light of the day. In regards to International Elevator & Escalator Expo, the government has displayed positive mood in form of its support to the expo. The government, architects, structural engineers, fire & safety experts and other associated personnels have to work together in order to build a sustainable building. Only then, the elevators market can fulfil and cater to such high-rise buildings with different set of requirements. As the population is rising, the plan to develop and execute high-rise buildings has to accelerate in order to meet the demand. I hope International Elevator & Escalator Expo will contribute to the plans of India regarding expansion of Indian elevators market.

With advent of 100 smart cities programme and related government schemes, how is the elevators industry leveraging on this market opportunity?
Elevators play a crucial part here. In India, a building of four storeys or above will have an elevator. That indicates, around 700 million people will make the use of elevator four times in a day, every day. So, this necessitates the need for an elevator which safe, secure and comfortable. In a smart city, the mobility has to be smart. The automation in lighting, safety and fire-fighting has to be smart and connected. The elevator industry is part of this as one of the service providers in contributing to the government’s ambitious smart cities plan. Elevator technologies are key in ensuring sustainability in smart cities of the future. Elevators, escalators, and moving walkways play an important part in creating sustainable and self-sufficient structures that considerably reduce the overall energy used in buildings.International Elevator & Escalator Expo aims at delivering this thought process to the industry practically.

What has attracted the industry to take cognisance of International Elevator & Escalator Expo 2018?
International Elevator & Escalator Expo has the right people together. The expo has proved to be one common point for the sellers (exhibitors) & buyers (visitors) to come together for fruitful business proceedings. The representatives of the associations of elevator producers including builders, architects, engineers and other allied associates gather at one common platform, so this is secured. The visitors can expect best of the industry and next-gen elevator technology from around the world at one single marketplace, fulfilling their varied vertical transportation technology demands.

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