EO ,

HIGH RISE BUILDINGS are on the up in more ways than one .

Since the turn of the millennium the number of high-rises over 200m has more than tripled , while more than 180 buildings measuring 250m in height are currently under construction .

This has and will continue to be the answer to sprawling urban populations . Half of the world ’ s population already live in cities , a figure set to rise to 70 % by the end of the century . With available land in city locations ever at a premium , urban planners , architects and construction firms are looking upwards for answers .

But looking upwards presents another problem . The taller buildings become , the more reliant they are on elevator installations to move larger numbers of people around . On average , some 40 % of usable high-rise floor space is devoured by elevator shafts .

However , while this conundrum may leave urban planners scratching their heads , engineering firms are sensing opportunities to open up massive new revenue streams by reinventing the way people navigate tall buildings .

Thyssenkrupp Elevator is certainly among this group of protagonists . A $ 9bn-revenue subsidiary of the German industrial giant , its 50,000-strong cohort of engineers and support staff serve 1,000 locations in 150 countries .

CEO Andreas Schierenbeck is therefore better placed than most to discuss the challenges and opportunities of developing more efficient

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