Made to Move Communities™

Inspiring the next generation of innovators as they develop inclusive mobility solutions for a more connected world

The Made to Move Communities™ challenge, launched in 2020, is Otis’ global social impact program. It pairs students with Otis mentors to solve real-world mobility challenges through STEM and artificial intelligence. Each year, students explore how mobility affects their communities and develop innovative solutions that make movement safer, more inclusive and more sustainable.

The program is designed to spark interest in STEM careers, strengthen our future workforce, and deepen Otis’ engagement in the communities where we live and work. It also supports career development by offering Otis colleagues meaningful opportunities to mentor, lead and grow.

One example of the program’s benefit to the business is the story of Agustín, a former participant in the Made to Move Communities initiative who now works at Otis as a technician. His experience demonstrates how exposure to STEM and mentorship can open doors to career opportunities while helping build a strong pipeline of future talent for our business.

1250+

Student participants

1000+

Otis volunteer mentors

145+

STEM grants

Year 7: Mobility solutions to support aging populations

As populations around the world age, maintaining independence and mobility is increasingly important. In Year 7 of Made to Move Communities, students will work alongside Otis mentors to develop AI-powered, inclusive mobility solutions that help aging populations maintain independence in their daily lives.

See Made to Move Communities in action

Past Made to Move Communities challenges

Mobility solutions to support people and communities in times of natural disaster

Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and intense, disrupting infrastructure and limiting access to essential services. These events present significant mobility challenges for communities and first responders. During the sixth year, the Made to Move Communities program brought together Otis colleagues and more than 200 students from 18 schools across 14 countries and territories to leverage artificial intelligence in developing more resilient, inclusive and accessible solutions for disaster preparedness and recovery.

WATCH Year 6 VIDEO

Artificial intelligence-driven solutions to enable more inclusive and sustainable mobility

Rapid urbanization has led to increased demand for transportation from a growing population facing a range of mobility challenges. AI technologies hold the potential to optimize the way we transport people and goods. For the fifth year of our Made to Move Communities program, Otis colleagues mentored more than 250 students from 16 countries and territories in using AI to create smarter ways to navigate cities and make urban mobility more sustainable and inclusive for all. We named the first-ever global team champion of our student challenge, selected from among the four regional winning teams representing Otis’ geographic regions.

WATCH Year 5 VIDEO

Mobility solutions to expand access to green space and advance well-being

In this era of rapid urbanization, there's an urgency to preserve and provide green spaces for the benefit of global public health. However, physical, geographical and socioeconomic barriers prevent residents from equally accessing and enjoying the full benefits of these recreational spaces.² For the fourth year of our Made to Move Communities program, Otis colleagues mentored 240+ students from around the world in researching this inclusive mobility challenge and designing innovative solutions to improve the health and well-being of local communities.

Watch Year 4 Video

Mobility solutions to reduce the impacts of climate change

Climate change poses a significant threat to the safety, prosperity and well-being of people and communities around the world. For the third year of Made to Move Communities, we empowered the next generation of innovators to be a part of the solution. Otis colleagues mentored 230+ students across the globe to develop solutions to the climate change issues impacting mobility.

Watch year 3 Video

Mobility solutions for older populations

The number of older adults is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 2050.³ For the second year of Made to Move Communities, we tapped young minds and applied creative thinking to help cities of the future adapt and meet the needs of this growing population. Across 14 countries and territories, teams of Otis colleague mentors and students created STEM-based mobility solutions ranging from connected wheelchairs and smart escalators to a device improving access to local water stations.

Watch year 2 video

Mobility solutions to COVID-19

In its first year, Made to Move Communities engaged schools in Brazil, China, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Russia, Spain, the United States and Singapore. Under the mentorship of Otis colleagues, nearly 100 students spent eight weeks developing STEM-based solutions to address mobility challenges in their communities – particularly those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch Year 1 video

Our winners and their solutions

Why Made to Move Communities

Inspiring STEM-based mobility solutions

Made to Move Communities, the cornerstone of our Social Impact strategy, focuses on two issues that are vital both to Otis and to the communities where we live and work: STEM education and inclusive mobility.

This annual challenge inspires students from around the world to come up with creative, technology-based solutions for eliminating the physical, geographic and financial barriers to mobility that often afflict our neighbors.

Inclusive mobility and well-being

At Otis, we know just how important mobility is to people’s well-being and their ability to lead healthy, productive lives. As an elevator company, we played a great role in creating today’s connected urban world, and our innovations continue to transform how people live and work.

Yet even today, many people lack access to reliable, affordable, convenient means for getting where they need to go, whether it’s school, work, or the market or to receive medical care.

We believe new technologies such as AI, advanced robotics and other smart, connected devices and networks hold the potential to address these challenges and deliver on the promise of inclusive mobility – for everyone, everywhere.

By participating in Made to Move Communities, students get a glimpse into this exciting future – and be encouraged to play a role in shaping the world we live in today and for generations to come.

Preparing the 21st century workforce

85 million jobs unfilled by 2030 due to digital skills gap¹

In the era of Industry 4.0, technology permeates nearly every job category, including manufacturing and many other trades. To prepare themselves for this rapidly evolving workplace, students need a solid grounding in STEM curricula and subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Yet according to the World Economic Forum, a digital skills gap may leave as many as 85 million jobs unfilled globally by 2030.¹ Made to Move Communities is one way to help close this gap, by complementing existing school programs with safe, real-world lessons conducted under the guidance of Otis experts – people who are passionate about technology and helping to nurture the next generation of innovators.

1 World Economic Forum
2 Ecology and Society
3 United Nations World Population Ageing 2019 Highlights