COMMENT Smart lifting
October 2026 Issue 276 I
n recent months, the hoist industry has continued to demonstrate its resilience and adaptability as demands evolve. Across the market, the focus remains firmly on practical priorities – reliability, safety and continuity of service – while advances in automation and digitalisation continue to support improvements in performance and oversight. Demand is being shaped largely by ongoing maintenance and replacement cycles, with purchasing decisions increasingly centred on life cycle value and compliance rather than rapid capacity expansion. In this issue of Hoist, we explore key developments, industry milestones and emerging trends shaping the future of lifting. In the CEO diaries on page 12, we speak with Steve Ekström, CEO of Noswing, about how the company grew
from a problem first encountered during industrial service work in 2005, why crane control must respond to a load’s real movement and how this approach can be integrated into both new and existing cranes. Our Project of the month features national lifting and rigging supplier Rope and Sling Specialists (RSS), which has completed a complex eight-month testing programme for critical lifting infrastructure at the enfinium Kelvin waste- to-energy facility in the Midlands on page 8. Also in this edition, Julian Champkin explores the range of below-the-hook attachments and the lifting challenges they solve – from awkwardly shaped loads and heavy loads to items with no obvious lifting points. Hoist reviews the options available on page 20. Finally, we look at how digital transformation is reshaping lifting control systems on page 28. Despite ongoing warnings about AI, it is already proving valuable in practice. Julian Champkin considers whether the industry is truly ready for what comes next. I hope you enjoy this edition of Hoist as we cover the developments, innovations and challenges shaping the
future of lifting. Phoebe Galbraith, editor
www.hoistmagazine.com | October 2026 | 5
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