KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, is reinforcing its long- term commitment to thePhilippines with future-ready solutions that help extend building lifespans, modernize aging infrastructure, and reduce carbon emissions.
At its signature KONEct 2025 customer event in Manila, the company shared its strategy to support buildingsthroughout their lifecycle – from construction to modernization and long-term maintenance – andintroduced the KONE High-Rise MiniSpace™ DX elevator. This move underscores KONE’s role as a strategic partner in the Philippines’ builtenvironment and climate action journey, contributing to the development of resilient, low-carbon cities.
Building future-ready urban infrastructure
Anchored in KONE’s global “Rise” strategy (2025 – 2030), the company’s approach and offerings integrate smart solutionsfor new building construction, predictive
maintenance, and energy-efficient modernization. These services help developers and property owners extend asset life,optimize people flow, and reduce environmental impact – while minimizing the premature demolition of elevators and escalators or replacement of equipment.
Today, more than 40% of elevators in Asia Pacific have been operating for over 25 years. Yet only a small portionhave been modernized to meet current safety and energy standards, highlighting the urgent need forsustainable infrastructure renewal across the region.
“As cities in the Philippines rapidly expand, we are committed to growing with them sustainably andstrategically,” said Petteri Kyrklund, KONE’s Managing Director for Philippines. “From enabling bold new developments to revitalizing aging buildings, we are proud tosupport every stage of the building journey across the country.”

Supporting climate goals with smarter sustainability
Buildings account for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, with two-thirds of these emissions stemming fromdaily operations. KONE’s approach and solutions help address this challenge by maximizing equipmentlongevity, minimizing waste, and upgrading only what’s essential.
This supports the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which targets a 75% reductionin greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
“Driving sustainability isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s an urgent necessity,” said Effie Chew, KONE’s Headof Environment and Sustainability for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. “For fast-developing countries likethe Philippines, modernizing existing buildings and embedding energy-efficient technology are key to achieving climate goals whileimproving quality of life.”
KONE’s carbon-reduction strategy includes carbon-neutral elevator and escalator systems, energy-savingregenerative drives and gearless motors, and remote
diagnostics that reduce technician travel and emissions. The company is committed to cutting operationalemissions by 50%, as well as emissions from its products’ materials and lifetime energy consumption by40% by 20301.
Modernizing without demolishing: A smarter urban strategy
With 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 already built, the challenge is no longer just about constructingnew spaces, but adapting the ones we have. In dense urban centers like Metro Manila and Cebu, KONE ispromoting modernization as the sustainable alternative to demolition, preserving value while cuttingenvironmental costs.
The company supports this shift through condition-based maintenance, data-driven lifecycle planning, andmodular upgrades that reduce disruption and maximize long- term asset value. Building owners can retain keycomponents such as guide rails and counterweights, avoiding full system replacements and cutting embodied carbon emissions by 78%.
Additional energy savings come from gearless motors, smart standby modes, and regenerative drives that returnelectricity to the building. All modernization packages are installed with KONE 24/7 Connect, which leveragesartificial intelligence (AI)-based analytics to enable predictive maintenance, enhancing reliability, minimizingdowntime, and ensuring a smoother experience for building users.
Introducing the High-Rise MiniSpace™ DX elevator in the Philippines
The highlight of KONEct 2025 was the Philippine debut of the KONE High-Rise MiniSpace™ DX elevator, anext generation solution designed for new and existing
buildings over 150 meters. It brings together compact design, digital intelligence, and energy efficiency to meet the demands of the modern urban skyline.
The KONE High-Rise MiniSpace™ DX delivers up to 30% energy savings in daily
operations and up to 70% savings when replacing older systems. Its KONE UltraRope® hoisting technology, which is 80% lighter than traditional steel ropes, reduces energy use on long trips by up to 15%. Furthermore, its compact machine-room footprint makes it ideal for retrofitting in dense urban environments, while its advanced
destination control system and digital connectivity enhance people flow and reduce wait times.
With its future-ready solutions, KONE is helping Philippine cities scale sustainably, meet emerging buildingstandards, and improve urban quality of life for generations to come.
Karina is not your ordinary supermom. She juggles her time bonding with her three amazing kids while being in the loop on the latest happenings in the tech and lifestyle scene. Follow me on Instagram (@digitalfilipina) regularly visit www.digitalfilipina.com for daily dose of updates not just for moms but for everyone!

