NEW CONCEPT FOR EUROPORT MARITIME 2007 ATTRACTS MARITIME INTEREST WORLDWIDE

Over 800 exhibitors from 31 countries will participate. An estimated 35,000 visitors from around the world will attend. This is the result of a new trade fair concept aimed at generating even more international interest. The guiding principle is to bestow Europort Maritime the status of a modern meeting point for state-of-the-art technology and systems. It is also the place to learn out about the latest developments in the area of complex shipbuilding.

Visible and tangible innovations

It is common knowledge that the Netherlands designs and builds the most complex ships. But it may come as news that the country also happens to be the leader in Europe. By offering a unique platform to the Dutch maritime cluster and its innovative capacity, tremen-dous international attention is now focused on Europort Maritime 2007.

An increase in international delegations

Numerous international delegations from maritime growth countries such as South Korea and Romania will attend this edition of Europort Maritime. Also, for the first time ever, a group of more than 100 Chinese entrepreneurs and authorities from Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin will visit the fair. Brazil, too, will be represented prominently by a group of 80 delegates. Consequently, exhibitors will have the perfect opportunity to reinforce or expand their existing networks. The increase in delegations, not to mention the diversity, confirms and strengthens the intended international reputation of Europort Maritime 2007.

Opening by Mr I. Opstelten, mayor of Rotterdam

In his opening speech, Mr Opstelten will introduce Europort Maritime and mainport Rotter-dam as ambitious global players. Rotterdam Mainport is the world’s largest petroleum hub and unequalled as a bustling logistic junction for shipping, short sea shipping, European inland navigation and other modes of transport. The development of the Maasvlakte 2 as a highly modern container terminal, the outstanding supply and maintenance facilities, as well as the construction of fiberport, which provides the entire port with a hypermodern broadband infrastructure, makes Rotterdam Mainport a preferred choice among internationally operating businesses. The role of Europort Maritime is to provide concrete examples of the commercial opportunities created by these and many other positive developments.

During the opening, Mr Pingtao Hung, president of the Chinese Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (CSNAME) and director of the Science and Technology Committee of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) will also be on hand to discuss China’s fu-ture perspectives in terms of shipbuilding compared to the rest of the world.

High profile international conferences

The CEDA Dredging Days (7-9/11) are the highlight for dredging experts from around the world during Europort Maritime. In addition to the technical aspects of dredging, this conference will focus on the relationship between performing dredging operations, as well as the infrastructure involved, and the welfare of everyone who, geographically speaking, is affected by the realization of the projects.

The IBT 2007 conference (8-9/11) is the most important meeting place for ‘updating’ ship owners and captains of in-land cruise ships. The participants represent cruise lines in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. The organized activities on the conference agenda for the group of 40 members include a visit to Europort Maritime.

Seminar ‘Unleash your power to innovate’ (7-11). The VNSI seminar is an interactive meeting during which a business case will also be examined in depth. Members are invited to discuss the approach to the innovation program in the maritime construction industry.

Symposium ‘On each other’s waterways’ (8-11). This event is intended specifically for pilots, captains, shipmasters, traffic controllers and navigation program instructors. As sea-going vessels keep getting larger and larger and the chains that inland navigation serves continue to add more and more links, navigation routes are becoming increasingly crowded. Optimum use of the ‘Automatic Identification System’ (AIS) and ‘River Information Services (RIS) can help guarantee water safety. The symposium aims to promote un-derstanding among all parties concerned for each other’s possibilities and limitations in terms of manoeuvring while at the same time preserving waterway safety. Organisation: Nederlands Instituut voor Navigatie (Netherlands Institute of Navigation).

Navingo Maritime Career Plaza (hall 1B-938) offers a wide variety of opportunities for Dutch and foreign students and employees to learn about careers in the maritime sector, including offshore. For employers, the Maritime Career Plaza is a great place to gather information and meet with potential employees.

Organisers optimistic

With the new trade fair concept as the driving force, tremendous international interest and the supporting seminar, symposium and conferences, the organisers expect Europort Mari-time 2007 to directly relate to current developments taking place around the world. Mr G.J.H. van der Vegt, General director of Ahoy Rotterdam, concluded: ‘This justifies the expectation that this trade fair will break all previous records and prove successful for virtually every exhibitor and visitor’. Van der Vegt also emphasised that the inland navigation and fishing sectors will most certainly not go unnoticed during this edition of Europort Maritime. ‘They still have their own unique identity at the fair, after all. Therefore, after consulting with the exhibitors, Thursday 8 November has been officially dubbed the “Day of Inland Navigation and Fishing”’.

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