SMM 2000 Set For Hamburg

SMM 2000 Promotes Unity Among Shipbuilding Nations Reporting this year's SMM 2000 Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology Exhibition as "booked out," Hamburg Messe is dubbing the exhibition as one that is multi-cultural and lingual - the bi-annual conference is predicted to attract more than 1,000 from 42 countries.

Designating Spain as this year's partner country, the exhibition, which has been dubbed the leading trade fair of world shipbuilding, SMM 2000, will take place at Hamburg Exhibition Centre from September 26-30, 2000.

Holding a place as the main international forum for executives in the shipping and shipbuilding sector for many years, SMM has further consolidated its top position with its "Hall of Nations" strategy involving grouping national pavilions under one roof, which was implemented for the first time at SMM `98.

At SMM 2000, Korea and the Netherlands will, for the first time ever, mull the possibility of staging a joint presentation to achieve greater international presence - joining various countries - such as the People's Republic of China, the U.K., Japan, Russia and the U.S.

The growing number of joint ventures and alliances is meeting market requirements for complete systems in all areas of shipbuilding. The international trade audience of SMM 2000 will be able to observe this process for navigation and ship management systems, propulsion units, pumps, waste disposal plants and other types of equipment.

In addition, the conference is receiving support of the Dutch Maritime Export Forum; Holland Marine Equipment Association (HME) is organizing a joint presentation on the international "stage" for the first time at SMM 2000. As many as 23 marine equipment suppliers have already registered for this joint stand, which will present marine electronics, automation and control systems, components for propulsion and rudder systems, refrigerating plants, lifeboats and workboats, as well as products in other areas. Other Dutch companies will also be represented as individual exhibitors in the various subject halls.

The goal of this joint exhibition effort is to launch an export offensive of the maritime industry, which accounts for 5.4 percent of Dutch exports. As a result, the network thus founded a Maritime Export Forum, in February, which is organizing the Dutch joint stand at SMM 2000 as its premiere project. The Dutch pavilion's primary topic is "Europe's Maritime Valley" - synonymous to the U.S. Silicon Valley -as it boasts more than 11,000 maritime companies based within a radius of 100 miles in the Netherlands.

Danish Marine Group is also focusing on improving its opportunities in export markets. Participants will be leading Danish marine equipment suppliers, such as Danfoss, Viking and Lyngsø Marine. Norwegian marine equipment suppliers will have their joint stand in Hall two around the market square "Bergen" at SMM 2000, as at previous events.

As partner country of SMM 2000, Spain will be represented in Hall One with Spanish shipbuilders and marine equipment suppliers. Last year the Spanish shipyard industry delivered 45 vessels totalling 350,000-cgt. At the end of 1999 Spanish shipyards had booked approximately 700,000-cgt in newbuilding orders. According to José Esteban Pérez, director of the Spanish shipbuilding industry association UNINAVE, a stabilizing factor for the Spanish shipyards Astilleros Españoles (AESA) and EN Bazan has been AESA's winning of an order for three LNG tanker newbuildings plus an option for three more in the first quarter of 2000. Bazan is currently scheduled to build four frigates for the Norwegian navy - thus providing a solid basis for the planned merger between AESA and the naval shipyard Bazan.