ThyssenKrupp’s testing site for ground-breaking mobility solutions in Rottweil, Germany becoming a significant tourist attraction for the Baden-Württemberg area

ESSEN, 28-5-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — The tower, which will rise to 246 meters upon completion, will serve as the testing site for ThyssenKrupp’s ground-breaking mobility solutions, including the rope-less elevator MULTI, and is already proving to be a significant tourist attraction for the Baden-Württemberg area

ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s new test tower in Rottweil reached the milestone height of 100 meters on May 24, 2015, within just two months. Designed by renowned architects Helmut Jahn and Werner Sobek, the structure represents the merging of innovative and sustainable engineering with Rottweil’s historic landscape of towers and steeples, and even before completion it is proving to be a popular attraction for tourists in the area.

Regarding the tower’s role in ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s future plans, Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Elevator, said, “The test tower is a vital element in ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s global research and development strategy, and will play a significant role in our future successes with innovative mobility solutions. Since the limitation on space in urban areas has translated into mid and high-rise buildings as the most viable construction options, there is a co-related increase in the demand for elevators. Rising to meet these demands, this tower will enable the quicker development of solutions that address challenges such as increased energy efficiency, faster travel times, and advanced security.”

Three of the tower‘s twelve test shafts, measuring 100 meters each, will be dedicated to the new MULTI system announced by ThyssenKrupp in November of 2014. Presented as a solution for mid and high-rise buildings, MULTI realizes the long-pursued dream of operating multiple, rope-less cabins in the same elevator shaft, increasing the shaft transport capacity by up to 50%, and making it possible to reduce the elevator footprint in buildings by as much as half.

Andreas Schierenbeck added, “We are well on track for completion by the end of next year, and are looking forward to making a great contribution to the city of Rottweil, with which we have partnered in this landmark project.”

In addition to the new jobs that will be created at the R&D facility at the tower, ThyssenKrupp is also moving its German Research and Innovation Center (RIC) to Rottweil. These facilities, along with the company’s Neuhausen elevator manufacturing site and its Pliezhausen R&D development center will represent a cluster of innovation in elevator technology and form a part of the Stuttgart-Zurich innovation axis. An estimated ten thousand students of engineering are also enrolled at universities in the area, including Stuttgart and Konstanz in Germany, and St. Gallen, Winterthur and Zurich in Switzerland, providing a wide recruitment base for ThyssenKrupp.

Visitors to Rottweil, known as the City of Towers owing to its medieval churches and defense towers, are already frequenting its newest addition, which is set to be one of the tallest structures in Germany. Besides serving as a functional testing site for advanced mobility solutions, the tower will also have a glass viewing platform at 232 meters which will offer visitors panoramic views of the Black Forest, the Schwäbische Alb mountains, and, on clear days, the Alps.

Commenting on this latest significant milestone, Ralf Bross, Mayor of the city of Rottweil, said, “The city of Rottweil and many of our citizens have supported the test tower of ThyssenKrupp from the start; now we are excited about how fast it is growing. This structure has already begun generating wide-spread interest in our city, and as a successful addition to the industry in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg region, we hope that it will serve as an inspiration for other innovation-oriented businesses to establish themselves here.”

The Elevator Technology business area brings together the ThyssenKrupp Group’s global activities in passenger transportation systems. With sales of 6.4 billion euros in fiscal 2013/2014 and customers in 150 countries, ThyssenKrupp Elevator is one of the world’s leading elevator companies. With more than 50,000 highly skilled employees, the company offers innovative and energy-efficient products designed to meet customers’ individual requirements. The portfolio includes passenger and freight elevators, escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts as well as tailored service solutions for all products. Over 900 locations around the world provide an extensive sales and service network to guarantee closeness to customers.

Contact:

ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG
Michael Ridder
Communications
Business Area Elevator Technology
Phone: +49 (0)201 844-563054
e-mail: michael.ridder@thyssenkrupp.com