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ELEVATOR WORLD Europe’s May-June 2026 Issue |
Features: Innovation in the Heart of Trento; From Northern Spain to the World...
Focus on Fixtures: The Potential of Digital Out-of-Home Advertising in the Lift Industry
Columns: Orona Achieves Growth and Charts Future Course; A Visit to CEDES Headquarters...
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Visit our website to read the
May-June 2026 Issue, latest news, events and magazine archives!
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EW EUROPE TO FOCUS ON SWITZERLAND, PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS
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The July-August 2026 issue of ELEVATOR WORLD Europe will focus on Switzerland and feature the 14th annual Photo Contest Winners. Submissions will be accepted through June 30. The Advertising deadline is July 14. Contact Bülent Yılmaz for editorial submissions and editorial and advertising inquiries within Europe. Those outside of Europe may contact Angela C. Baldwin for editorial and T. Bruce MacKinnon for advertising.
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VOTING NOW OPEN FOR EW’S 2026 PHOTO CONTEST
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Voting is now open for ELEVATOR WORLD’s 14th Annual Photo contest! Simply click on the heart for the pictures you love to cast your vote. With more than 170 photographs and videos submitted from across the globe, there are a dazzling array of options from which to choose. Winners in each category will be featured in the August 2026 issue of EW. Categories include Projects in Action, Elevators/Lifts (Commercial), Elevators/Lifts (Private Residence), Escalators and Moving Walks, Machines and Components, City Skylines and Tall Buildings, Historical/Legacy Equipment, Hoistways, Company Facilities and Factories, Inclined Lifts, Industry Art/Illustrations and Videos. Vote until June 12. We look forward to showcasing the elevator world through your unique lens!
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SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT FOR THE EW PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARDS
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Submissions are now being accepted for the ELEVATOR WORLD 29th Annual Project of the Year Awards. We are seeking submissions of projects featuring vertical, horizontal or inclined transportation systems with an innovative design, special application or approach that solved a major problem or overcame a unique challenge. Projects will be judged on innovation, originality and creativity, challenges overcome, installation methods and techniques and use of advanced technology, as well as overall quality of presentation. This year’s categories are Elevators, New Construction; Elevators, Modernization; Escalators, New Construction; Escalators, Modernization; Moving Walks; Inclined Elevators; Platform Lifts & Stairway Chairlifts; Private-Residence Elevators; and Special-Purpose Lifts. All entries will be judged and categorized as received by an impartial panel of experienced industry experts and professionals. Winning entries will be published in the January 2027 issue of ELEVATOR WORLD. Winners in each category will be acknowledged with an award of recognition. The submission deadline is September 2.
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ENTER THE 2026 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD CONTEST
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ELEVATOR WORLD’S sixth annual Product of the Year Award recognizes outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers whose products are considered particularly noteworthy or innovative. The product(s) should represent any of the following qualities: a significant advancement in a technology or its application, an exceptionally innovative design, a substantial achievement in price/performance, improvements in design performance and a potential for new product designs/opportunities. To learn more about how your company can participate in the 2065 contest, download and complete the 2026 entry form.
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KONE SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE US$34-BILLION TKE ACQUISITION
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At an extraordinary general meeting on June 3 at company headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, KONE shareholders approved the company's planned US$34-billion acquisition of German rival TK Elevator (TKE), a deal that would "propel KONE past U.S. rival Otis, create a European champion and strengthen its presence in the Americas," Reuters is among outlets to report. Antitrust scrutiny means closing the deal with TKE owners Advent, Cinven and others could take up to 18 months, and divestments in certain geographical areas are likely, KONE Chief Financial Officer Ilkka Hara told the source. Read more here
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IEES ORGANIZERS ISSUE CALL FOR PAPERS, WELCOME NEWEST EXHIBITOR
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Liftinstituut and ELEVATOR WORLD, organizers of the International Elevator & Escalator Symposium (IEES) at Hotel Okura in Amsterdam on December 10-11, issue a call for papers, invite participation and welcome their newest exhibitor, the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC). This year’s theme is “Passenger Experience, Access, Design and Safety.” IUEC Director of Safety and Health Eric M. McClaskey, who attended two previous Symposiums, said, “Whether you are focusing on new technologies, code development, business practices or safety, the IEES offers something for everyone.” Read more here
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FERMATOR REVOLUTIONIZES PLANT LOGISTICS, BOOSTS SAFETY WITH ROBOTICS
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Fermator, a leading manufacturer of automatic elevator doors, recently made major strides in safety and efficiency at its Falset plant in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, with the help of the MiR1200 Pallet Jack Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) and the integration expertise of industrial intralogistics specialist MTS Tech. The pallet jack is manufactured by Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), a Teradyne Robotics company. Read more here
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INTERLIFT 2027: INTEREST GREATER THAN EVER, ORGANIZERS SAY
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Organizers of interlift 2027, planned on October 12-15, 2027, at Messe Nürnberg in Nuremberg, Germany, said interest in the next iteration of the international lift industry trade fair is greater than ever, with approximately 240 exhibitors already registered in May. The first edition of interlift at its new venue in 2025 was well-received by both visitors and exhibitors, with the city of Nuremberg offering a wide range of hotels and outstanding transportation links. Read more here
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MOTUM TAPS COO TO SHARPEN FOCUS ON SWEDEN
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Motum, Norway and Sweden's largest independent elevator and door group that also has a presence in Ireland, recently announced it is sharpening its focus on Sweden with the appointment of Jonas Granzell as chief operating officer (COO). Fredrik Eliasson will continue as Motum CEO as he puts more effort into the group's and Mitsubishi's international development and long-term works in Europe. In Granzell's new role, he will work closely with the management of Motum's Swedish companies with a focus on business, customer relations and further development of market offerings in Sweden. Read more here
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NEW ORGANIZER CONFIRMED FOR HEILBRONN ELEVATOR DAYS 2027
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Heilbronn Elevator Days, a trade event for the industry that brings together experts involved in the planning, operation, testing and manufacture of lift systems, will continue under new management from 2027 onward. The Technische Akademie Esslingen (TAE) will take over as organizing body, while the established venue Harmonie in Heilbronn, Germany, remains unchanged. The 44th iteration of the event is scheduled for March 2-3, 2027. Registration and more information are available on the TAE website.
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SPAIN’S MP LIFTS LANDS SEVILLE METRO VT MAINTENANCE CONTRACT
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MP Lifts, a Seville, Spain-headquartered enterprise with more than 165,000 lifts installed globally, announced on May 21 it has been awarded a contract to maintain Seville Metro's vertical-transportation (VT) equipment. The long-term contract strengthens a relationship that dates to 2007, when MP Lifts designed and installed 42 elevators and 53 escalators across the metro network. Read more here
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SMART CITY EXPO POLAND PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER 16-17
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The seventh edition of Smart City Expo Poland will be held on September 16-17 at EXPO XXI in Warsaw. The only trade fair dedicated entirely to urban technology in Poland, the expo will provide a networking platform for the public and technology and investment sectors. Read more here
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EUROPEAN ELEVATOR CAPACITY SIGNS MAY UNDERESTIMATE PASSENGER WEIGHT
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Research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul on May 12-15 finds capacity signs for the maximum number of passengers allowed in elevators across Europe fail to reflect current obesity trends, outlets including the Medical Xpress report. The study’s author, past clinical professor of medicine at University College of London Nick Finer, said failure of elevator manufacturers to adapt to rising obesity levels and adjust capacities accordingly — particularly since 2002 — means journey times are likely to be increased and safety could be compromised. Read more here
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WAITING LIST LAUNCHED FOR FULLY BOOKED NORDIC LIFT EXPO
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With a little less than six months to go until Nordic Lift Expo 2026, the exhibition on November 10 at Scandic Infra City in Stockholm, Sweden, is fully booked, prompting organizers to start a waiting list. “You never know what will happen in the coming six months,” Project Director Bjorn Delin said. “There could be mergers and all sorts of things that might lead to a possibility to exhibit for those on the waiting list.” Read more here
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POPULAR PANORAMIC ELEVATOR REOPENS IN PORTUGAL
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The Boca do Vento panoramic elevator reopened in Almada, Portugal, in early May after an almost two-month shutdown for modernization work, Lisboa Secreta is among outlets to report. This South Bank landmark elevator takes passengers up to a glass-enclosed balcony offering unobstructed views of the Tagus estuary, the 25 de Abril Bridge and the city of Lisbon. The elevator had previously been closed between February 2-16 during an initial phase of construction. Read more here
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GREECE AND HK SAR STUDENTS WIN OTIS’ 2026 MADE TO MOVE COMMUNITIES CHALLENGE
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With ideas using advanced technology to support city officials, first responders and residents before, during and after natural disasters, student teams from Athens, Greece, and Hong Kong (HK) Special Administrative Region (SAR) were named co-champions of Otis' 2026 Made to Move CommunitiesTM challenge, Otis announced on May 6. The winning student teams are from Geniko Lyceum Filothei in Athens and HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College in HK SAR. Read more here
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SKYSCRAPER TRENDS FUEL VT GROWTH AROUND THE GLOBE
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The vertical-transportation (VT) industry's projected growth from US$128.29 billion in 2025 to US$180.30 billion in 2031 reflects a "world building upward, even as parts of that ambition stall," Realty+ reports. In China, much high-rise construction has stalled, with 193 of the 259 stalled global skyscraper projects — nearly 75% — located there. Other parts of the world are filling the gap. In the Middle East, Saudi Arbia is planning hundreds of thousands of homes and millions of square feet of office space. Read more here
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SCHINDLER EXPANDS R.I.S.E ELEVATOR INSTALLATION ROBOT FLEET
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Swiss OEM Schindler announced on May 28 it has expanded its Robotic Installation System for Elevators (R.I.S.E) elevator installation robot fleet as global demand continues to rise, adding two of the robots that deliver up to 40% time savings and enhance safety and working conditions. Since its launch five years ago, Schindler R.I.S.E systems have been deployed at 36 jobsites worldwide and installed approximately 50,000 anchor bolts — a key structural element of elevator shafts. Read more here
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TKE WINS RED DOT DESIGN AWARD FOR HOME LIFT CABIN
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TK Elevator (TKE) announced on June 1 the H300 NXT home lift cabin, conceived by TK Home Solutions and designed by Italdesign, received an international Red Dot Design Award in the Product Design category. Combining modularity, aesthetic flexibility and proven engineering reliability, H300 NXT was created in response to a longstanding shift in how residential mobility is perceived, TKE stated. Read more here
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ELEVATOR PROBLEMS HINDER ACCESS AT THE ACROPOLIS
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As tourist season gets fully underway, an elevator at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, that “works two days out of seven,” at best, according to a tourism official, is hindering accessibility at the ancient citadel, Tovima reports. The source illustrated the problem with a recent account of a wheelchair-bound woman riding the elevator up to the top of the Sacred Rock to take in views, only to find it no longer working when she was ready to make her way back down. Firefighters had to assist her. Read more here
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INNOVALIFT CEO HIGHLIGHTS MACROTRENDS DIGITALIZATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
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During a Latour first quarter market update in April, Andrea Veggian, CEO of Sweden's Innovalift AB, a Latour portfolio company, said the megatrends of digitalization and sustainability are reshaping the lift industry in the short/mid-term and over the longer term, respectively, Innovalift reported. A clear shift is already apparent with digitalization, he said, with customers now expecting more connected and intelligent vertical-transportation systems, better monitoring, predictive maintenance and more user-friendly interfaces. Read more here
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OTIS SMART CAB 2.0 AWARDED TWO RED DOT DESIGN AWARDS
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The Otis Smart Cab 2.0 has been honored with two Red Dot Product Design Awards for 2026, recognizing excellence for both the integrated elevator system and its innovative modular ceiling solution. The next-generation elevator cab integrates AI, sensing technologies, Internet of Things connectivity and biometric recognition to deliver an immersive, multi-sensory experience tailored to a building’s unique architecture and brand identity — and to the individual passenger. The Smart Cab 2.0’s award-winning modular ceiling solution allows architects to precisely tailor the elevator experience. Read more here
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FIFTH VIETNAM ELEVATOR EXPO COMING IN DECEMBER
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Organizers of the fifth Vietnam International Elevators Exhibition (Vietnam Elevator Expo) announce this year’s event is planned on December 3-5 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The cost of a 9-m2 booth is US$3,100, and those interested in exhibiting are asked to respond no later than October 5. Read more here
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CVU ANNOUNCES AWARD OF EXCELLENCE RECIPIENTS
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The Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU) has announced the recipients of its 2026 Award of Excellence honors, recognizing 73 projects, concepts and initiatives that exemplify new directions in vertical urbanism across the globe. Awardees representing work from 20 countries across 20 categories and subcategories reflect a growing emphasis on adaptability, interdisciplinary thinking and long-term urban value. Read more here
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Editorial submissions, reprint permission requests, subscription/removal requests should be sent to the EWEU News editorial staff: Angela C. Baldwin, Kaija Wilkinson, Lindsay Fletcher and Kathleen Farrell. The ELEVATOR WORLD Media Kit can be downloaded here. EWEU News is a registered trademark, and all rights are reserved. Copyright 2026 © Elevator World, Inc.
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