SILC 2026 is getting ready

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Person observing Santander Bay from the Botín Centre between architectural columns

SILC 2026 is getting ready On 6 and 7 October, SILC will once again bring leading international experts to Cantabria to discuss the present and future safety challenges facing the lift industry.

The countdown to a new edition of the Santander International Lift City Congress (SILC) has begun. On 6 and 7 October 2026, Cantabria will once again become a meeting point for some of the most influential professionals, consultants, academics, institutional representatives and business leaders in the global lift sector.

As in previous editions, the congress will take place in two of the region’s most emblematic venues. The opening day, 6 October, will be held at the Centro Botín in Santander, while the programme on 7 October will move to the Pontifical University of Comillas. Both locations offer an exceptional setting for knowledge exchange, strategic reflection and debate on the challenges shaping the future of the industry.

Safety takes centre stage at SILC 2026

After addressing topics such as digitalisation, connectivity and emerging technologies in previous editions, SILC 2026 will focus on the industry’s most essential concept: safety.

Safety spans every stage of a lift’s life cycle—from design and manufacturing to installation, maintenance, modernisation and daily use.
From this broad perspective, SILC 2026 will explore current and future safety challenges, bringing together complementary viewpoints from regulatory, technological, business and academic fields.

A first day featuring leading international voices

The opening day of SILC 2026 will bring together some of the most respected experts in the lift sector, as well as specialists from related fields closely connected to safety, regulation and innovation.

Speakers confirmed for 6 October at Centro Botín include:

Wim Koster
President of the European Lift Association (ELA), representing the European lift industry before EU institutions. His extensive experience and strategic vision make him one of the sector’s most influential voices.

Nick Mellor
Associate Lecturer at the University of Northampton and one of the world’s foremost specialists in lift safety and regulation. His academic work and long-standing involvement with the Lift Symposium have earned him international recognition.

Pilar del Castillo
Member of the European Parliament and former Spanish Minister of Education, Culture and Sport. Her participation will offer an institutional perspective on regulation, competitiveness, innovation and Europe’s role in building safer environments.

Graham Baker
Head of Vertical Transportation at Cundall, one of the world’s leading engineering consultancies. A specialist in designing vertical transportation systems for complex buildings, he will share insights into how safety is integrated from the earliest stages of project development.

Paul Burns
Director of Vertical Transportation Design at D2E. With extensive international experience in consultancy and engineering for vertical transportation systems, he will address current and future challenges from a design and innovation perspective.

More SILC 2026 updates coming soon

The SILC 2026 programme already features a distinguished group of international experts from business, academia, institutions and technical organisations. In the coming months, additional speakers, programme content and complementary activities will be announced.

SILC 2026 will take place on 6 and 7 October in Cantabria. Stay tuned for further updates and discover all the details of an edition that will place safety at the heart of the debate within the lift industry.