It is a real pleasure to be here with so many colleagues, experts and innovators who are shaping one of the most fascinating and important areas of building engineering. I would like to begin by thanking the organisers for inviting me to speak today and, more importantly, for creating a forum that has become one of the leading international gatherings for the vertical transportation profession.

Events such as this are invaluable because they bring together people with different experiences, perspectives and areas of expertise around one shared purpose: advancing engineering excellence. That spirit of collaboration sits at the heart of CIBSE. It has defined our Institution for almost 130 years, and it will continue to define our future.