After taking the helm of the company about a decade ago, how would you describe KONE’s evolution over the years?
Our mission, which is to move people in and between buildings as safely ad conveniently as possible, has remained the same in the last decade. So, I would say that the world, especially in terms of the digital and green transition, is what has changed significantly since we first crafted our strategy and thinking for KONE.
As an elevator engineering company, we see ourselves as not just designing technologies that carry people up and down buildings in steel boxes or through escalators, but as contributing to the urban flow of people in a city. In other words, elevators perform a simple mechanism that crucially impacts how livable and workable certain urban environments are. It is far more sustainable to modernize existing buildings in ways that improve mobility and, by extension, residents’ living and working conditions, than to tear old buildings down for reconstruction.
Could you share some concrete examples that illustrate how facilitating urban flow and mobility can also improve sustainability
Basically, public transportation is critical to any sustainable urban environment. And our elevators are designed to avoid traffic — or queues — in buildings and workspaces by transporting people to their destinations in the smoothest way possible. So, in avoiding certain inconveniences, redesigning the flow of people in a building helps those who use it to thrive within a living or working environment, while ensuring that the building itself remains relevant.
What interesting projects for greener buildings would you like to highlight for our readers?
The Forge, the first building in the world to install carbon neutral elevators, and the Bloomberg building in London are among the most interesting we have worked on. What I find most encouraging today is that the owners and developers of modern buildings all over the globe, and not just in the European capitals or big cities in the United States, have begun recognizing the need to incorporate forms of sustainable transport.
On that optimistic note, do you consider that sustainability can be affordable and even generate economic opportunities? And in terms of smart, sustainable building, what digital technologies have you used?
If you look at the high energy costs in the building industry, you see that there is a strong case for incorporating sustainable technologies. And higher costs associated with installing basic infrastructure like windows, insulation, facades, and elevators also improve the life cycle of buildings that in turn help reduce emissions.
Digital technologies provide real-time data and the ability to monitor and interpret said data in ways that are critical to the green transition. We have been pioneers in connecting our elevators to the cloud, which has enabled us to record elevator function and thereby preempt unscheduled fallouts, jams, and other potential faults in our technology.
The data we collect digitally identifies the exact procedures, materials, and spare parts a technician needs to correct any flaw in the elevator. We can also use this information to provide our customers with better asset-management plans for servicing and upgrading elevator parts in the future.
What are your plans for expanding your operations in the coming years?
We are currently operating in more than sixty countries, and we aim to expand to regions in Africa and Asia where population growth and the shift toward urbanization are most pronounced. China, India, and other countries in Southeast Asia are among our strongest markets today.
What message would you send to our global readership as well as all of those who will attend the COP28 in Dubai?
Already in 2008, we set our target of having KONE be the leader in sustainability in our industry. Since the late ‘90s, we have reduced our elevators’ energy consumption by 90%. I mention this milestone because we have always been aware that environmental sustainability is not only a moral duty, but also a great business.
And just as importantly, I would note that digital technology is critical in providing all parties in the value chain, both in construction and building management, with the real-time data needed to create energy efficiency and net zero-emission buildings.
