Smart and Sustainable Cities

The work supported the societal impact of standardisation by helping to anchor the twin transitions, digital and climate, in the real needs of cities and communities, where societal change is most visible and immediate. Cities are the spaces where challenges are experienced firsthand and where solutions must be effectively implemented. By strengthening their involvement in the standardisation process, we ensure that the resulting standards are not only technically sound but also socially relevant and fit for purpose. Local knowledge is essential for identifying practical needs and streamlining resources, enabling standards that deliver real value and promote efficiency. This approach also strengthens Europe’s global leadership by aligning strategic innovation with on-the-ground implementation.

The continued and active participation of representatives from associations, cities, and communities underscored the strong interest in and perceived relevance of this work to address pressing challenges. Beyond the core topics of digitalisation and climate change, we also addressed issues such as procurement, nature-based solutions, and the nature-positive economy. A representative from the Tiliria Region (Cyprus) highlighted the importance of recognising and integrating historical knowledge as a distinct asset for addressing energy and water shortages and building more resilient societies. Inspired by these debates, the Cypriot Mirror Committee will launch a new standardisation project to develop a standardised Climate City Contract for Cyprus, which will serve cities and communities in creating broad coalitions and help address climate change more systematically.

A clear trend is being formed of moving from vertical energy management that distributes energy in a wired, centralized manner towards more open and distributed architectures adopted close to the edge of the population networks, which among other technologies also utilize the wireless power potential. In this new paradigm, energy will be distributed, shared and managed locally, thus closing the distance between citizens and the available energy sources.

Lifts, escalators and moving walks are essential elements for the transportation of society. With this work safe access and accessibility for all is provided. Furthermore, this work encompasses energy efficiency and adherence to the United Nations' sustainability goals namely 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 which are integral components of the standards.

Until 2022, the lift and escalator industry lacked dedicated ICT standards—aside from those addressing cybersecurity. Initially, the approach within ISO and CEN was to integrate all relevant topics directly into the core product standards, often referred to as the "product bible": ISO 8100-1/2 and ISO 8103-1. Notably, ISO 8103-1 was published at the end of 2024 as a new global escalator standard, mirroring the European EN 115-1 requirements. This marked a major milestone for the industry, as it was the first time that European safety standards for escalators and moving walks would be applied globally.

As the field evolved and specific topics became increasingly complex, supplementary standards were introduced to support and expand upon the core documents.

It soon became apparent that ICT, due to its rapid advancement, remained insufficiently covered. In response, a strategic initiative was launched to assess the situation, define a roadmap for the future, and close this gap. Developing new standards and technical specifications in this area is now a top priority (further details in the following chapters).

At the same time, the core product standards must continue to be maintained, with general ICT aspects gradually integrated into them.
Another major challenge faced by ISO/TC 178 and the global lift and escalator sector is the current dynamic in China. The country is rapidly developing its local standards, with significantly shorter release timelines and fewer stakeholders involved compared to the ISO and CEN processes. This highlights the critical need for SAC to remain actively engaged in ISO and to adopt ISO standards as national standards. To address this, additional partnerships have been formed, and regular exchange meetings are held to ensure the highest possible level of influence and alignment.