26.09.2007
For anyone with a serious commitment to the maritime industry, Russia will feature highly on their business agenda. Already the world’s second biggest exporter of oil and home to the largest known reserves of natural gas, Russia sees the commercial development of these resources inextricably linked with the development of its maritime chain and infrastructure.
Testament to this is the newly established “United Industry Corporation”, the State-owned Shipbuilding Group which will exhibit at NEVA 2007 that has been opened from 24 to 27-th of September in St. Petersburg, Russia. This new structure is seen as one of the main cornerstones of Russia's future shipbuilding industry and incorporates major yards including Baltiysky Zavod and Severnaya Verf.
Additionally, the newly merged Sovcomflot and Novoship shipping companies will exhibit at NEVA under their new title “Sovremenny Commercial Fleet”. The word ‘Sovremenny’ means ‘modern’ in English and the new combined operation brings together the tanker fleets of the former Sovcomflot, Novoship and Rosnefteflot under one management lead by former Minister for Transport, Sergey Frank. The new company will operate the most modern tonnage and will provide an indispensable link in the transport chain for Russia's future oil and gas development.
Every two years the industry en masse converges under one roof at the Lenexpo Complex, St. Petersburg, for the NEVA exhibition. The next NEVA is set to take place 24-27th September 2007, and already several hundred Russian companies – large and small – from across the shipping, shipbuilding, ports and offshore range have confirmed their stand participation at the exhibition.
Some 10,000m2 of floor space has been booked for the 2007 event, up some 25% up on 2005. Alongside the domestic exhibitors, the NEVA exhibition is a magnet for leading companies from around the world. For example the 2007 event will see a sizeable Asian contingent, including COSCO Shipyard Group. There is a considerable European presence with new national pavilions from Spain and France, while the German Pavilion will host 43 principal companies plus their sub-exhibitors. This level of commitment clearly underscores the importance of the show in the eyes of the global maritime and offshore community. “It is no exaggeration to say that all who attend NEVA have the opportunity to meet with the market in one place and do business during the four days which would otherwise take at least four months if they visited all the major Russian maritime centers located around this massive country,” says Roderick Keay, General Director of Dolphin Exhibitions, joint organizers of the event with the Transtec Neva Exhibitions Company.
Since its inception in 2001, the NEVA Exhibition has become firmly established as the place for the Russian, and wider international maritime community to meet, interact and do business. Or as Rod Keay puts it: “The corridors of its exhibition are recognized by the Russian and wider maritime community as the corridors to forging strong, enduring and meaningful business relations.”
This reality is testified by the event’s year-on-year growth and by the active participation of international organizations such as the Community of European Shipyards Association (CESA).
“We are following the developments of the Russian shipbuilding industry with great interest and appreciate the opportunity for closer face-to-face dialogue that it provides,” says CESA’s General Secretary Reinhard Lüken. Dr Lüken will be a keynote speaker at the NEVA 2007 Plenary Conference on the 25th September, which will also see Vneshtorgbank, one of the leading State Banks of Russia present perspectives on the future financing of the Russian United Shipyard Corporation and shipping in general. Further high level speakers will be announced shortly.
The setting for NEVA is St Petersburg, Russia’s undisputed maritime capital. The city is home to key government maritime departments as well as the corporate headquarters of leading industry concerns, including significant sectors of the Gazprom Corporation. Coming months will see the government-sponsored United Shipbuilding Corporation and accompanying shipbuilding and maintenance technology centre open its doors there as well as the newly combined Sovcomflot/Novoship.
St. Petersburg has never been more accessible to the international maritime community, says Rod Keay. “There are a plethora of airlines flying to St. Petersburg, which has brought down the costs for flying on national carriers,” he adds.
Further information: www.neva.setcorp.info
