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[May 2008]
bauma China 2008 Gears Up For New Exhibitor Record
As space allocation gets underway for bauma China 2008, it is already clear that a new record will be set for exhibitor numbers. In 2006, a total of 1,088 international exhibitors put on presentations in the SNIEC (Shanghai New International Expo Centre), but for this year’s event in November, bauma China is set to welcome at least 1,150 exhibitors thanks to the expansion in space.
This renewed expansion and the broad product range at bauma China reflects the continuously rising demand for construction machinery, building materials machinery, construction vehicles and equipment in Asia. Visitor interest is expected to focus in particular on the range of building materials machinery at the fair, not least because the Chinese and Indian economies are currently enjoying double-digit growth, with similar potential being predicted for the coming years in the building materials sector.
According to the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the construction industry is one of the main engines of growth in the Indian economy. By the year 2012 alone, a total of $500 billion is being invested in infrastructure projects. By far the largest proportion of this is earmarked for improving the road network and building new roads. In parallel with this, investment is also continuing apace in commercial and residential construction.
An important measure of construction activity is cement production. According to the Cement Manufacturers Association, India was the second biggest consumer of cement last year after China. For the current year the association expects demand to be around 175 million tonnes.
This building boom is also being felt in China. According to Chinese statistics, in 2006 around 50% of the world-wide consumption of cement was accounted for by China, as well as 30% of total iron consumption and 15% of total energy consumption. At the same time, by 2010 the aim is for energy consumption to decrease by 20% and emissions of dangerous greenhouse gases by 10%. This ambition presents the international exhibitors with the same challenges in Asian markets as they are facing in European and American markets. Namely, that in terms of both product innovation and optimisation, what is needed are new techniques and a reorientation on the part of both manufacturers and users. Automated processes, for example, increase the quality of aerated concrete and sand-lime bricks, thus avoiding wastage in the production process. Expensive soil replacement, too, can be avoided through the use of new machinery, attachments and building materials, with the result that emissions are reduced because less material needs to be transported away from the site.
www.bauma-china.com
ENDS