After four highly successful days InnoTrans, the leading
international trade fair for transport technology, ended last Friday
in Berlin. The 1,606 exhibitors from 41 countries displayed
innovations and product highlights along with their extensive ranges
of products and services on an area of more than 100,000 square
metres. The 65,000 trade visitors from 90 countries - a 40 per cent
increase over 2004 - came to the world's largest trade show for the
railway sector in search of information. Some 50 per cent of
exhibitors and more than 40 per cent of visitors came to Berlin from
abroad.
Approximately 95 per cent of trade visitors assessed the
commercial results of their discussions at this year's InnoTrans as
positive. This was revealed by a survey of exhibitors and trade
visitors that was carried out by an independent public opinion
research organisation. They also had an equally high opinion of the
range of items on offer at the fair. More than half of the visitors
questioned occupy management positions in their companies. Nine out of
ten of them have already announced their intention of attending the
next InnoTrans.
This is what some of the industry's leading figures said about
InnoTrans 2006: Philippe Mellier, President, ALSTOM Transport:
"InnoTrans is the place where all the decision-makers in the industry
meet. The increasingly international dimension of this fair is very
useful for us." Dr. Dieter Klumpp, General Manager, Alstom LHB GmbH,
added: "We are delighted with the progress of the fair here in Berlin.
We had a record number of visitors on our stand and we are already
looking forward to 2008."
"InnoTrans is a unique and major occasion for the rail industry.
It gives us a unique opportunity to present our innovations to the
entire world" said Andre Navarri, President Bombardier Transportation.
"Once again this year the remarkable success of the world's leading
fair for transport technology was echoed by Bombardier. We experienced
even greater levels of interest among customers and trade visitors",
stated Dr. Klaus Bauer, General Manager, Bombardier Transportation
Germany.
"Our conclusions are entirely positive. InnoTrans provided a shop
window for our range of services. Deutsche Bahn has a wealth of skills
and expertise in the rail transport sector which are increasingly in
demand internationally as a result of the liberalisation of the
transport market. This was confirmed at the fair. The many direct
discussions with clients, industry and other railway operators are an
important aspect. Now we must make the most of this positive situation
for the benefit of our own business", said Hartmut Mehdorn, Chairman
of the Board of Deutsche Bahn AG.
John Dineen, CEO of General Electric Transportation: "InnoTrans is
clearly established as the world's shop window for the industry. We
regard it as the ideal venue for presenting our worldwide activities."
Silvano Brandi, Managing Director, Global Signaling Europe, GE
Transportation Rail, added: "InnoTrans confirmed its position as a
world event. We are very satisfied with the many highly qualified
trade visitors and the numerous new contacts."
Hans M. Schabert, Divisional Chairman, Siemens Transportation
Systems: "Once again InnoTrans met all expectations, and even exceeded
them. The attendance in such large numbers by international visitors
ensured that this trade fair is the centre of the railway technology
world. We made countless good contacts at the fair and were able to
arrange a great many follow-up discussions. The expense involved in
setting up the stand, the open air displays and the presentations of
rolling stock were well worth the effort."
"From our point of view the fair was excellent and showed a
further improvement over the InnoTrans 2004. This applies equally to
the contacts with customers and to the response by those trade
visitors with whom we had not made advance arrangements." These were
the conclusions of Heinz Tengler, General Manager Product Group
Hydrodynamic Components and Systems for Railway Vehicles, Voith Turbo
GmbH & Co KG.
"For the German electric railway industry InnoTrans is the ideal
platform for improving on an already good position abroad", stated
Herbert Zimmermann,, General Manager of the Electric Railways and
Vehicles Division of the association representing the electrical
engineering and electrical industry Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und
Elektroindustrie e.V.
Successful debuts for Interiors and Tunnel Construction
More than any other comparable event anywhere in the world,
InnoTrans covers the entire rail sector. Moreover all the various
sections of the display were even larger this year than they were in
2004. The sections dealing with Railway Technology, Railway
Infrastructure and Public Transport have expanded significantly and
occupied additional halls. The Railway Infrastructure and Public
Transport sections, each with some 300 exhibitors, offered an
unparalleled range of products. The new sections, Interiors and Tunnel
Construction, also made a successful start.
An even greater international dimension
Once again it was the foreign exhibitors who accounted for most of
the increase in the display area. The exhibitors from outside Europe
at InnoTrans 2006 included companies from Australia, China, Japan,
Taiwan and South Korea, Israel, Canada and the USA. Firms from
Bahrain, Brazil, Greece, India, Iran, South Africa and the Ukraine
were represented at InnoTrans for the first time. The strong
international component at InnoTrans was also reflected by the 17
national joint stands, organised by industry associations, chambers of
commerce and export promotion organisations.
There was also a further increase in the number of foreign trade
visitors, who accounted for 38 per cent of the total (a six per cent
rise compared with 2004). They consisted predominantly of buyers from
Eastern Europe and Asia. The general consensus at InnoTrans was that
the rail sector is booming.
All available space on the rail tracks and open air grounds was
occupied
InnoTrans has a unique feature that gives it an added advantage -
the rail track and open air grounds, ideally linked to the rest of the
fair. The 20,000 square metres of open air display space adjoining the
halls had twice the number bookings compared with two years ago. All
2,000 metres of track, used for the presentations of locomotives and
rolling stock, were occupied.
InnoTrans Convention - an outstanding forum for decision-makers
International and with high-ranking participants, these were the
characteristics not only of this year's InnoTrans but also of its
specialist supporting programme. At the heart of this concentrated
programme was the InnoTrans Convention, which was based on three main
components, the Dialogue Forum, the European and Asian Rail Summit and
the International Tunnel Forum.
The Dialogue Forum focused on innovative trends in rail transport,
future financing of public transport, customer requirements with
regard to modern communications systems, and the International Railway
Industry Standard. The organisers were the German transport
associations Deutsche Verkehrsforum and Verband Deutscher 3/4
Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV), the Union of European Railway Industries
(UNIFE) and the organisation representing the German rail industry,
Verband der Bahnindustrie in Deutschland (VDB).
Transport ministers and the director generals of European and
Asian transport companies, as well as members and observers from the
organisation for inter-railway cooperation (OSShD), again met at the
European and Asian Rail Summit at InnoTrans. Invitations to attend the
EARS were extended by the German Federal Minister of Transport,
Construction and Urban Development (BMVBS), Wolfgang Tiefensee, and
the Chairman of the Board of Deutsche Bahn AG, Hartmut Mehdorn. The
event was jointly organised by the Governing Mayor of Berlin and the
German rail industry association Verband der Bahnindustrie in
Deutschland (VDB).
The International Tunnel Forum presented a programme of subject
matter to accompany the new specialist section of the fair, Tunnel
Construction, and was organized by Studiengesellschaft fur
unterirdische Verkehrsanlagen e.V., STUVA. The 5th Public Transport
Forum was also held during InnoTrans.
Large Platform Party on the southern section of the Exhibition
Grounds
During the coming weekend a large Platform Party is being held on
the open air grounds at InnoTrans, where visitors can admire the
latest locomotives and trains from around the world, and there will be
many other attractions for the whole family too.
InnoTrans 2008 will take place from 23 to 26 September on the
Berlin Exhibition Grounds.
More statements about InnoTrans
"Our traditional markets are, of course, in Slovakia, the Czech
Republic and countries bordering them such as Hungary and Poland.
However, some of our members have already conducted business with
Norway, Finland and France. InnoTrans has served us as a reliable
platform where we and our members can become even more widely known."
Peter Milo, General Manager of the Slovakian Federation of Railway
Technology Manufacturers and Repairers, AVOKOV
"InnoTrans is famous and of global importance for the export of
Chinese railway products. Virtually all the world's firms are gathered
here." Gu Jianqiang, Project Manager, Railway Business Division, China
National Machinery Import & Export Corporation
"InnoTrans is an important platform for our communication with the
market. At this globally significant trade fair for rail transport
technology we are presenting our innovative suspension concept and
underlining our expertise as an international development partner."
Jens Fechner, Director Marketing Services, ContiTech AG
"We believe that the use of road-rail vehicles will acquire
increasing importance over the next few years. That is why InnoTrans
2006 is an outstanding platform for presenting our product range to an
audience of international experts." Holger Doth, Sales Manager,
Road-Rail Vehicles, DaimlerChrysler AG
"In addition to establishing contacts with new customers InnoTrans
is, to an increasing extent, becoming an excellent platform for us to
cultivate contacts with clients. This year, for example, we have
received more orders for repair work and retrofitting." Andreas
Becker, General Manager, EPHY-MESS Gesellschaft fur Elektro-
Physikalische Messgerate mbH
"InnoTrans: a top fair. We are delighted. Major manufacturers and
many trade visitors from Asia too have been very interested in our new
wastewater treatment system for train toilets. Provisional contracts
have already been signed here with a number of customers." Robert
Gigengack, Sales Director Europe, EVAC Train Division
"Our first presentation at InnoTrans as a new member of the
Russian Transmashholding was a complete success. Our new Protos train
concept in particular met with a great deal of interest. On the basis
on in-depth discussions we are very confident of obtaining further
orders after the fair." Eberhard Mann, Member of the Design and
Development Board, FTD Fahrzeugtechnik Dessau AG
"This is the third InnoTrans at which PESA has been represented
and it has yielded many promising contacts with companies all over the
world. Our traditional sales markets in Poland itself, and in
Lithuania, the Ukraine and Russia, could soon be joined by countries
in Asia and the Middle East." Aleksander Asztemborski, Marketing
Manager Rail Vehicles PESA
"For us as a traditional medium-sized company from Brandenburg
InnoTrans also forms a bridgehead to the expanding markets of Eastern
Europe, and the discussions that we held with their representatives
were not only interesting but also contained much of substance."
Andreas Radam, General Manager, RWS Railway Service GmbH
"It is very important for us to have a presence at InnoTrans. If
you are not here, you simply don't exist." Martin Subert, Sales Area
Manager Skoda Transportation s.r.o.
"I am already familiar with InnoTrans as a visitor but this time
we are exhibiting here for the first time. The organisation is
excellent and impressive and we are confident that this, the world's
largest trade fair, is the ideal platform for us to achieve tangible
success with our new products." Dmitry Georgievich Komissarov,
Chairman of the Board of Transmashholding
"For us as designers InnoTrans is unrivalled as a trendsetter. In
addition to systems companies and operators our services are now being
sought by the manufacturers of components too. Moreover this year we
even had many promising discussions with representatives of other
carriers." Thomas Konig, Member of the Board of TRICON Design AG
"In a single day at InnoTrans 2006 Unilok has made more good
contacts than in five years of direct marketing." Owen T. McConn,
Chairman Unilokomotive Limited
This and other press releases can be found on the internet at
www.innotrans.com.
