On November 6, Otis held a press conference at the 6th China International Import Expo, officially launching its new-generation intelligent elevator system Gen360™ and the 515NPE public transit escalator, delivering a smarter, more comfortable and more reliable riding experience for passengers.

 

Otis also unveiled its future-concept super elevator for the first time, whose brand-new functions and applications bring an immersive experience. Its futuristic design refreshes the traditional elevator style, allowing passengers to get a preview of the refreshing future elevator riding space.

 

The concentrated debut of new products at the CIIE reveals Otis' emphasis and determination to adhere to digital innovation, strengthen local cooperation, and develop and consolidate the Chinese market. "Otis fully supports China's vision of achieving smarter and greener urban development," said ‌Luo Xiaoli‌, President of Otis China. "Leveraging our globally leading innovative technologies and localized R&D, design, manufacturing and service capabilities, Otis is committed to contributing to China's high-quality modern development."

 

Rooted in China, Localization Drives Intelligent Digital Innovation

The strong resilience of China's economy and the innovation-driven development environment have created opportunities for enterprises to thrive. As a global hot spot for investment, the Chinese market plays a vital role in Otis' global business landscape. Since entering the Chinese market in 1984, Otis has taken deep roots here. At present, Otis' largest R&D center and high-speed elevator center worldwide are located in Shanghai; Otis' largest escalator production base globally is situated in Jiaxing; the Otis Elevator TEDA base in Tianjin is Otis' largest manufacturing base for advanced elevator products, where the technologically leading SkyRise® high-speed elevators and the brand-new Gen360™ intelligent elevators are produced and sold overseas. Adjacent to the TEDA base, Otis Northern China R&D Center was also inaugurated in October this year. Otis is still steadily accelerating its investment in China.

 

Relying on a complete localized industrial chain, Otis has long been committed to digital innovation and always stays at the forefront of technological development. From the Gen3™ intelligent elevator, the intelligent dispatching system, the IoT-based maintenance solutions and the Otis customer experience portal, to the safer, smarter, more efficient, comfortable and highly interconnected new-generation intelligent elevators and escalators, Otis has successfully created a variety of digital products, subverting industry traditions and bringing about an innovative revolution.

 

"Otis' success stems from our century-old accumulated innovation genes, the trust of our customers, and our emphasis on safety and sustainable development," said ‌Judy Marks‌, Otis' Global Chairman, CEO and President. "170 years ago, Otis launched the world's first safety elevator, continuously helping to refresh urban heights and changing people's lifestyles and work patterns. The innovative achievements released at this CIIE once again prove that Otis keeps innovating and is committed to creating higher value for customers and passengers."

 

Intelligent Interconnection, Modernization Builds Smart Cities

Today, beyond "height" and "speed", China's urbanization has entered a stage of high-quality development. Especially against the backdrop of the downturn in China's real estate market, the construction and elevator industries are facing huge challenges, while market segments in the industry still maintain growth. The demand for modern urban renewal and infrastructure construction, especially in first- and second-tier cities, continues to increase, driving new market demands for elevator equipment and services, particularly for more energy-saving and intelligent advanced products and services, which in turn accelerates digital transformation and promotes the implementation of more smart interconnected building solutions. China's pursuit of high-quality development has created more opportunities for the development and construction of smart and sustainable buildings.

 

It is estimated that by 2030, China's urban population will exceed 1 billion. Most people will live in smart cities in the future. In fact, China now has more than 900 smart city pilot projects across the country. Digital technology makes the connections between people, people and buildings, and people and the world closer and smarter, with more scenarios moving to the cloud, shortening time and distance. As the first stop of vertical transportation, elevators are inseparable from buildings and people's lives. Continuously optimizing the riding experience, ensuring safe travel, and improving the management efficiency of buildings and elevators are among Otis' important goals.

 

"In China, our goal is to connect every new elevator we install to achieve predictive maintenance; and invite our customers to connect to our newly launched customer experience portal, so that property management parties can more easily and conveniently grasp the status of elevators," said Luo Xiaoli, President of Otis China. Relying on unremitting exploration in the field of digital technology, all of Otis' new-generation elevators are equipped with the Otis ONE® IoT platform, including the two new products that made their debut at the press conference. The Otis ONE® IoT digital technology can connect elevators or escalators to the cloud, providing maintenance technicians and building managers with real-time operation information of elevators, realizing all-weather monitoring, predictive maintenance and remote early warning, further ensuring elevator operation and optimizing the passenger experience. Otis China is leading Otis' global maintenance digital business. As of 2022, the number of Otis' IoT-connected elevators in China exceeded 145,000.

 

In the next few years, the number of elevators that have been in operation for more than 20 years in China will double, making the upgrading and renovation of escalators and moving walks imperative. For existing building elevator installation and modernization renewal projects, Otis' smart connected elevators and intelligent escalator solutions have outstanding advantages such as high efficiency and intelligence, which highly meet the needs of urban aging. Otis has already assisted the famous Shanghai landmark ‌Oriental Pearl TV Tower‌ to complete its modernization renovation, and the installation of Otis products has greatly improved its operating speed and transportation capacity. Otis is currently upgrading and renovating hundreds of elevators and escalators on 7 Shanghai metro lines. At the same time, it also supports the upgrading, construction and redevelopment of commercial buildings such as urban towers and office buildings. The revitalized infrastructure can be invested in production activities as production factors, promoting direct regional economic growth, reducing economic costs, attracting investment, boosting regional trade, increasing employment, and generating positive spillover effects on people's well-being.

 

"Our goal is to create a better world, benefiting not only our property management customers, but also passengers who use Otis elevators and the smart cities built with Otis elevators," said Luo Xiaoli, President of Otis China. "With the intensification of population aging and the increase in urban population, we need smart and reliable elevators to help urban residents travel smoothly. China is drawing a blueprint for smart cities, and Otis will continue to support China's smart city construction as always."

 

Farsighted, Leading Local Innovation to "Go Global"

Adhering to the concept of "Based in China, Serving the World", Otis is not only committed to promoting China's new-type industrialization transformation and building smart cities, but also to bringing high-end manufacturing innovated in China to the global market, allowing Chinese wisdom and quality to influence the world and helping China become a global innovation highland.

 

The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, whose goals of high standards, people's well-being and sustainability have truly created opportunities for global development. As a supporter of the BRI, Otis has responded to the policy call and fully participated in the construction of multiple projects along the route, including the ‌Makkah Metro‌, Abu Dhabi International Airport, the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, the 10th of Ramadan Railway in Egypt, the Air Algerie Headquarters Building, the Embassy of Samoa and multiple commercial landmark projects in Cambodia, using Chinese manufacturing experience to assist infrastructure construction and smart city development in countries along the BRI routes.

 

The Otis R&D Center located in Shanghai focuses on providing innovative products and technologies for global customers, accelerating breakthroughs in key technologies in the elevator industry. Among them, the Gen3™ intelligent elevator applied in projects such as the Air Algerie Headquarters Building, the Embassy of Samoa and multiple commercial landmark projects in Cambodia is one of the many outstanding innovative achievements of the Otis Shanghai R&D Center. And the Otis elevators in world-famous landmark buildings such as the Burj Khalifa and Lotte World Tower are all produced at Otis' TEDA base in Tianjin. In China, Otis brings together outstanding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) talents from all over the world to promote local Chinese innovation to the globe.

 

"For many years, Otis has been deeply involved in the construction of national-level BRI strategic projects," said Luo Xiaoli, President of Otis China. "Based on the concept of 'Based in China, Serving the World', Otis has established a huge localized business network in China, such as Otis' largest R&D center in Shanghai, five manufacturing bases across the country and the global high-speed elevator center, which actively provide comprehensive vertical transportation solutions for BRI projects; we also dispatch Chinese technical teams to overseas countries and regions to support the elevator installation for large infrastructure and landmark building projects. Otis actively responds to the Belt and Road Initiative, leveraging the dual advantages of an international brand and Chinese manufacturing to support the construction of smart cities along the BRI routes and help pave a prosperous road of cooperative development."

 

Supporting China's smart city development and urban renewal, embracing more opportunities brought by high-quality development, implementing the concept of sustainable development, creating greater social value, continuously increasing investment in localized innovation in the digital and intelligent fields, helping the upgrading of high-end manufacturing, and promoting people to connect seamlessly and develop infinitely in a higher, faster and smarter world — this is, and will continue to be, the focus of Otis' efforts. At present, the innovation-inheriting Otis is leading the digital transformation of the elevator industry, reconstructing the vertical transportation sector, and welcoming the era of smart cities and sustainable urbanization.