Since 1964, Telelift GmbH develops and markets intralogistics solutions for applications in administration, healthcare, libraries and industrial processes. Telelift has a long history of successfully solving challenges of transporting light goods within confined spaces while ensuring full integration into new and existing building structures. Telelift has installed more than 1,400 systems in more than 40 countries, and is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015.

In a recent interview, Telelift CEO Karl Pühringer shares insights to the history of Telelift and its activities within the healthcare segment.

Mr. Pühringer, Telelift has been established in 1964 and has vast experience in solutions for intralogistics applications: Could you please share highlights of the history of Telelift?

Telelift has been a first mover by offering solutions for an automatic transportation of documents within administrative buildings such as banks, insurances, ministries, and industrial buildings. Telelift established a brand name. Our first order was for a Swiss bank in Zurich. The company with its headquarter in Munich, Germany grew quickly. In the 70´s and 80´s many modern administrative buildings installed a Telelift system during that time. Telelift was a solution for the information flow between individuals long before the electronic exchange through the internet has been invented. In 1975 Telelift received an order for 1,050 UniCar containers from the German Federal Insurance Institution for Employees (BfA) in Berlin. This was the biggest contract in the company´s history at that time. In total Telelift has realized more than 600 installations within administrative buildings.

Today, digitalization has to a large extend replaced the need for a Telelift system to send documents physically between individuals. Nevertheless, Telelift has since then prospered through the development of in-house logistic solutions for alternative applications such as hospitals, libraries and industry.

This sounds very interesting. Could you please tell us more about the applications within hospitals?

Our transportation container has further evolved and in the late 70´s Telelift started to install system within hospitals. A Telelift system has proven to be a very suitable system for the transportation of patient samples from the operating theatre or from the patient wards to the laboratory as well as for the transportation of medication from the central pharmacy to the patient wards. Especially patient samples can be transported in a very safe and efficient manner without exposing the samples to high accelerations and possible negative impact from transportation. 

In which countries has Telelift installed systems within hospitals?

Telelift installed more than 500 systems within hospitals in many countries around the world including Germany, USA, UK, several countries in South East Asia, Korea and of course in China.

Interesting. Can you share more insights regarding your China strategy?

Through our close collaboration with many Chinese hospitals during the last 15 years, Telelift has learned a lot about intralogistic needs of Chinese hospitals. While the Telelift UniCar system is a very good system for the transportation of medication and patient samples, there are additional transportation needs within hospitals that can be automated such as the transportation of linens (clean and contaminated), waste, meals, sterile surgical instrument sets and many other goods. To address the needs of our customers we therefore decided to develop Telelift into a full solution provider for in-house logistics for hospitals.

Telelift is actively sharing its concept of a Total Solution for Hospitals through the participation at regional conferences in China.

Next conference CHDC 2020 will be in Hangzhou, China on July 24th-26th 2020.