“Innovation brings progress.”
Rudolf Strele, Head of Corporate Legal at the Doppelmayr Group
In conversation with Raphael Buchner, Account Manager at GrECo, Rudolf Strele, responsible for legal, compliance, and insurance at Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH, talks about the technological evolution of cable car systems, changes in risk management, and why digitalization, sustainability, and strong partnerships are crucial for long-term success today.
Adapting to a Century of Change: Innovation and Globalisation
Buchner: There have been some significant historical events in Central and Eastern Europe over the last 100 years. How has your company adapted and responded to some of these events?
Strele: As a technical company, we have been particularly influenced and shaped by technological developments. Creating innovations and using and further developing technical products has always been part of our strategic orientation. Because innovation brings progress.
Internationalisation and globalisation were also enormously important developments for us as an internationally oriented group of companies.
From Mechanical Safety to Digital Resilience
Buchner: Looking back on the past century, what were the most significant challenges in terms of risk management in your industry and how were they overcome?
Strele: In the past, cable cars were often simpler constructions with limited safety precautions. Increasing passenger numbers and technological progress were accompanied by stricter safety standards, which are now laid down in international regulations. The introduction of redundant safety systems, automated monitoring technologies, and strict testing procedures helped make cable cars one of the safest modes of transport in the world.
With the advancement of technology, digital systems are enabling ever-improving capabilities for real-time monitoring and adjustment of operating parameters to reduce weather-related risks.
With growing environmental awareness, it has also become essential for cable car manufacturers to be able to offer cable car operators energy-efficient and sustainable solutions. The standard use of electric motors, low-impact construction of buildings and supports, advances in energy recovery, regenerative braking systems, and alternative energy sources such as photovoltaic systems are helping to significantly reduce the ecological footprint.
And in order to minimise economic risks due to global market changes, we focused early on establishing local branches and strategic partnerships.
The integration of digital technologies was and remains both a significant challenge and an opportunity. In recent years, we have invested heavily in the development of new solutions that are already well established on the market, such as autonomous cable cars and networked control systems.
Buchner: What significant inventions have revolutionised your industry over the past 100 years?
Strele: Industrialisation and automation have had a major impact on our industrial landscape. The cable car industry has also seen numerous milestones in the development of technology, which have laid the foundation for today’s state-of-the-art technology and high levels of comfort and safety. These include the development of the detachable grip, various safety monitoring systems such as rope position monitoring, drive concepts, and much more.
The current drivers of revolutionary technology are digitalization, the use of artificial intelligence, and the potential offered by the use of data.
Buchner: How has your company’s approach to risk management evolved over the years, and what important lessons have you learned from past experiences?
Strele: In the cable car industry, the focus used to be primarily on mechanical safety, but today risk management is a holistic process that integrates technology, the environment, digitalization, and economic factors.
As a manufacturer, we rely on preventive measures such as predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring systems, and digital twins for simulation and early detection of potential risks. The introduction of redundancy principles and modern, fail-safe control systems and their continuous development have led to extremely reliable systems.
Digitalization has also created a high demand for cyber security in the context of cable cars. With this increased risk, high IT security measures are now a matter of course.
Sustainability, Partnerships, and Future Risks
Buchner: What are your predictions for the future risk landscape in your industry, and how do you plan to remain resilient and innovative in the face of these challenges?
Strele: Only through continuous development and early recognition of trends and risks can a company remain competitive and secure. For Doppelmayr, this means maintaining our pioneering spirit and continuing to promote innovation in order to stay one step ahead while remaining flexible.
It is also important to have the right partners you can rely on. One such partner for us is GrECo, which has been providing us with reliable support in the form of tailor-made global insurance solutions for 60 years now.
About the Doppelmayr Group
