ThyssenKrupp Recognized by MIT Technology Review as One of the 50 Smartest Companies 2015
Award Recognizes Innovation in Elevator Technology That Solves Complex Challenges
ThyssenKrupp has been recognized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the leading names in technology research and education, as one of the 50 Smartest Companies in 2015.ThyssenKrupp was recognized for its reinvention of the elevator industry and was the only industrial manufacturing company named. According to MIT Technology Review, to make the list, a company must have truly innovative technology and a business model that is both practical and ambitious, with the result that it has set the agenda in its field over the past 12 months.
The editors of MIT Technology Review praised ThyssenKrupp’s MULTI, a next-generation cable-free elevator with multiple cabs in one shaft that can travel horizontally as well as vertically, a design that is adaptable to buildings of all heights, shapes and purposes.
“We are extremely proud to be honored as an innovator by MIT,” said Patrick Bass, CEO of ThyssenKrupp North America. “Innovation is the engine driving ThyssenKrupp’s next chapter of growth. Our ongoing investments in next-generation technologies such as MULTI in the vertical transportation sector and InCar®plus in the automotive industry are strongly customer focused and are aligned in areas we have identified as key to our future business.”
MULTI applies the linear motor technology of the magnetic levitation train Transrapid to the elevator industry. The new design can incorporate various self-propelled elevator cabins per shaft running in a loop, similar to a metro system. This increases the shaft transport capacity by up to 50 percent, making it possible to reduce the elevator footprint in buildings by as much as 50 percent.
MULTI joins ACCEL, a unique accelerating moving walk that applies the same linear motion technology as the MULTI elevator system and is set to transform mobility in cities and large infrastructures like airports, metro stations or shopping malls. ACCEL is placed on skywalks or within buildings and its fast-moving technology makes it capable of attracting up to 30 percent additional passengers to train stations and cutting transit times in airports by up to two-thirds.
Another example of ThyssenKrupp’s rich heritage of engineering innovation and ability to provide customized solutions is One World Trade Center. ThyssenKrupp installed the fastest elevators in the Americas at the One World Trade Center in New York. ThyssenKrupp designed all 71 energy-efficient elevators and 12 escalators throughout the building. Five of the elevators represent a record-breaking engineering feat, able to travel at nearly 23 mph and up more than 100 floors in 60 seconds.
“We see it as our role to bolster innovation across industrial segments,” continued Bass. “As a diverse industrial group with its Elevator Technology, Components Technology, Industrial Solutions and Materials Services businesses in North America, ThyssenKrupp has a unique capability to drive innovation across a wide spectrum. Our InCar®plus solutions, which can be integrated quickly into automotive production, gives our customers an important edge in terms of time and cost.”
In the spring, ThyssenKrupp showcased its InCar®plus project to more than 13,000 automotive leaders in North America. InCar®plus presents more than 40 innovations focused on increasing the efficiency of cars in the future. More than 100 ThyssenKrupp engineers developed solutions to help automotive manufacturers achieve weight savings of up to 60 percent and reduce costs up to 10 percent.
The motivation of ThyssenKrupp to develop new transportation solutions is obvious. The world’s population is continuously increasing and more and more people are moving to cities. Energy efficient technologies engineered by ThyssenKrupp teams across business areas provide a range of meaningful benefits to make cities of the future more livable. The editors of MIT Technology Review recognized ThyssenKrupp’s ambitious efforts when they conducted their annual search for the 50 Smartest Companies 2015 and ranked ThyssenKrupp at No. 35.
Kellie Harris
Director, Media and Communications
ThyssenKrupp North America, Inc.
Phone: 1 (312) 525-2790
E-mail: kellie.harris@thyssenkrupp.com
About ThyssenKrupp North America, Inc.
ThyssenKrupp is a diversified industrial group with traditional strengths in materials and a growing share of capital goods and services businesses. Based in Essen, Germany, around 155,000 people in nearly 80 countries work with passion and technical expertise to develop high-quality products and intelligent industrial processes and services for sustainable progress. Their skills and commitment are the basis of our success. In fiscal year 2013/2014, ThyssenKrupp North America, Inc. generated sales of €9 billion, accounting for about 22 percent of the Group's total sales. ThyssenKrupp companies in Canada, the United States and Mexico offer a range of products including: premium carbon steel, high-performance alloys, automotive components, elevators, escalators, material trading, handling and logistics, plant construction and industrial service. For more information, visit the ThyssenKrupp North America website thyssenkrupp-north-america.com.
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