This year's InnoTrans Berlin will be more international than ever. So far exhibitors from 36 countries have registered to attend the leading international trade fair for rail transport technology when it takes place from 19 to 22 September on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Much of the increase in the display area since 2004 is accounted for by foreign exhibitors. Among the exhibitors from outside Europe at InnoTrans will be companies from Australia, China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, Israel, Canada and the USA.
Firms from Bahrain, Greece and India will be making their first appearance at InnoTrans. In 2006 almost half of all the exhibitors will be from outside Germany.
The strong international component at InnoTrans is also reflected by the 17 national joint stands which are being organized by industry associations, chambers of commerce and export promotion organizations.
Eleven industry associations from Germany and abroad will also be attending the leading event for this sector, including the Union of European Railway Industries UNIFE and the organisation representing the German rail industry, Verband der Bahnindustrie in Deutschland VDB. National displays are being organised by the UK's Railway Industry Association RIA, Swissrail Industry Association, the Slovakian industry association AVOKOV, the Association of Czech Railway Industry ACRI, CRIDA from Taiwan, Holland Rail Industry HRI and the Japan Overseas Rolling Stock Association JORSA. The Korea Rolling Stock Industries Association KORSIA is planning to stage a joint display for the first time at InnoTrans. The presence in Berlin of the export associations of the rail industries of Denmark and Spain, Dansk Eksportforening and MAFEX, has particular significance because the decision to establish them both was made several years ago at InnoTrans.
InnoTrans 2006 is expected to attract some 50,000 trade visitors from all over the world, and there will probably be a further increase in the proportion of foreign visitors. Two years ago 46,455 trade visitors from 81 countries and 1,369 exhibitors from 35 countries came to Berlin.
Among the more important exhibitors from Asia will be the South Korean market leader Rotem. Following the success of its participation in 2004 Rotem is expecting even more trade visitors on its stand, and more orders too. This South Korean company explains that it is making use of InnoTrans as a means of establishing itself on the European market. The country's industrial federation KORSIA is organizing trips by South Korean trade visitors to attend InnoTrans 2006.
There is also a tendency for more firms from the new member states of the European Union to attend this event. Roman Pikula, the president of the Polish trade association explains the manufacturers' motives in attending as follows: 'InnoTrans is an ideal opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the leading companies in the international railway technology sector, to see for ourselves the best products and technologies, and to meet with railway representatives from all over the world. For our association and its members InnoTrans is firmly established as an essential date on our calendar.'
Orders for display space at InnoTrans 2006 are already significantly higher that at the same point two years ago. There has been an excellent response to all the various sections of the display at InnoTrans. One of them, the new Interiors, will occupy all of Hall 6.2, while Tunnel Construction makes its debut at InnoTrans in Hall 7.2. Additional hall space has already been allocated for the sections dealing with Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure and Public Transport. Compared with the previous event the demand for display space on the rail track and the other outdoor areas immediately adjacent to the exhibition halls has doubled.
