A positioning device comprising: - a support arrangement comprising one or more support elements (11, 12, 13), - a long stroke stage - a short stroke stage that is movable in the movement direction with respect to the long stroke stage, the short stroke stage comprising a short stroke stage carrier element that is supported by a short stroke support element (12, 13), wherein the long stroke stage or the short stroke stage carries two actuators (30, 40) arranged opposing each other at a fixed distance with a gap in between, each actuator (30, 40) comprising a ferromagnetic yoke (31, 41) and a magnet (32, 33, 42, 43) arranged in the magnetic flux path of the yoke (31, 41), and - a control unit configured for initiating a movement of the long stroke stage and the short stroke stage in a desired movement direction by first moving the long stroke stage, said positioning device being characterized in that: - the long stroke stage is supported by and movable in a movement direction with respect to a support element, the long stroke stage comprising a long stroke stage carrier element that is supported by a long stroke support element; - the other one of the long stroke stage or the short stroke stage comprises a ferromagnetic center element that is arranged in between the actuators (30, 40); - the first moving of the long stroke stage initiated by the control unit comprised in the positioning device, is in opposite direction that is opposite to the desired movement direction and/or there is moving of the short stroke stage in the desired movement direction for a predetermined time interval and for a distance smaller than the distance (d) between the ferromagnetic center element and the closest actuator (30, 40) in a stationary state of the long stroke range and then moving of the long stroke stage in the desired movement direction. - a support arrangement comprising one or more support elements (11, 12, 13), - a long stroke stage - a short stroke stage that is movable in the movement direction with respect to the long stroke stage, the short stroke stage comprising a short stroke stage carrier element that is supported by a short stroke support element (12, 13), wherein the long stroke stage or the short stroke stage carries two actuators (30, 40) arranged opposing each other at a fixed distance with a gap in between, each actuator (30, 40) comprising a ferromagnetic yoke (31, 41) and a magnet (32, 33, 42, 43) arranged in the magnetic flux path of the yoke (31, 41), and - a control unit configured for initiating a movement of the long stroke stage and the short stroke stage in a desired movement direction by first moving the long stroke stage, said positioning device being characterized in that: - the long stroke stage is supported by and movable in a movement direction with respect to a support element, the long stroke stage comprising a long stroke stage carrier element that is supported by a long stroke support element; - the other one of the long stroke stage or the short stroke stage comprises a ferromagnetic center element that is arranged in between the actuators (30, 40); - the first moving of the long stroke stage initiated by the control unit comprised in the positioning device, is in opposite direction that is opposite to the desired movement direction and/or there is moving of the short stroke stage in the desired movement direction for a predetermined time interval and for a distance smaller than the distance (d) between the ferromagnetic center element and the closest actuator (30, 40) in a stationary state of the long stroke range and then moving of the long stroke stage in the desired movement direction. - the long stroke stage is supported by and movable in a movement direction with respect to a support element, the long stroke stage comprising a long stroke stage carrier element that is supported by a long stroke support element; - the other one of the long stroke stage or the short stroke stage comprises a ferromagnetic center element that is arranged in between the actuators (30, 40); - the first moving of the long stroke stage initiated by the control unit comprised in the positioning device, is in opposite direction that is opposite to the desired movement direction and/or there is moving of the short stroke stage in the desired movement direction for a predetermined time interval and for a distance smaller than the distance (d) between the ferromagnetic center element and the closest actuator (30, 40) in a stationary state of the long stroke range and then moving of the long stroke stage in the desired movement direction.