French industrial group MND, a major cable transport player, today unveiled ORIZON^™, its new range of cable transport solutions (gondolas and chairlifts) intended to provide reliable, high-performance, sustainable mobility solutions Made in France to mountain players and transport operators in urban and tourist environments.

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With this innovating range of detachable, single-cable gondola lifts and chairlifts, French MND group is consolidating its position as a global player and aims to win new market share in a fast-growing sector. ORIZON^™ range equipment caters to the most demanding configurations: steep gradients, long distances, large vehicles, high flow rates. They are available in a wide range of configurations, from 6-seater chairlifts with or without bubble to 10, 16 and 20-seat gondolas, and capacities of up to 8,000 people per hour and per direction at speeds of up to 7 metres per second.

MND has invested 20 million euros in the development and industrialisation of its ORIZON^™ range, as well as 10 million euros in the construction at Sainte-Hélène-du-Lac (Savoie-France) of a building to house the production and assembly of the new solutions on a 2-hectare plot of land. In addition, a first unit will be built on site so that customers can discover and test the products in a live operating situation. Over the next 24 months, a hundred or so new employees will be joining the MND Group to support its growth.

With over 10 new families of patents registered, MND is once again proving its ongoing will to provide advanced technical soft mobility solutions.

Over the last few years, MND has mobilised a dedicated technical and industrial team of more than 60 people to design and produce this new generation of cable transport, with a mission to create a range with the following features: high-performance, reliable single-cable detachable technology using tried-and-testedcomponents, large-capacity, easy access, innovating design cabins, high throughput with a low carbon footprint, greater wear resistance to optimise maintenance costs, and a patented Direct Drive motor directly connected to the pulley.

Specially attention has been paid to optimising the installation’s energy consumption, in particular by recovering and using the energy produced by the gravity transport system, the automatic eco-driving system to adapt to flows in real time, the recovery of heat to heat the buildings and the integration of solutions to produce renewable solar energy.

To design this new ORIZON^™ ecosystem, MND worked with Stellantis Design Studio. Born of the creative power of the Stellantis Group brands, the design studio is one of the world’s leading experts in creating responsible, inspiring and memorable brand experiences.  The partnership made it possible to create a new-generation user mobility experience that is both fluid and comfortable, thanks to the many studies on its design, conception, ergonomics, accessibility, choice of materials and luminosity. The new ecosystem has been designed to seamlessly integrate into natural, tourist and urban spaces, to enhance the transport experience, promote a sustainable and efficient mobility solution, and strengthen the connection between users and their environment.

Because each project is unique, a vast catalogue of options has been designed to meet operators’ technical and aesthetic requirements: interior/exterior colours and decoration, choice of materials, interior/exterior lighting, eco-driving system, automatic operation, integrated recovery, on-board information system, video surveillance, etc.

MND has chosen its stand and the inauguration of the MOUNTAIN PLANET (France) international event, the world’s largest mountain development trade fair on 16 April 2024, to unveil a world preview of its new range of ORIZON™ detachable gondolas and chairliftsdesigned for tourist and urban uses. Mountain Planet hosts 23,000 trade visitors from 71 countries over 3 days.