SINAVAL-EUROFISHING 2007 • 24-27 January • Bilbao Exhibition Centre

Companies from 27 countries, including Germany, Denmark, France, The Netherlands, UK, Italy, Norway and Canada, have so far registered for SINAVAL-EUROFISHING. Almost all of the exhibition space has now been taken as the countdown for the event begins.

The exhibition space will be taken up by the following sectors:

• Propulsion and electronics (46%),

• Shipyards and ancillary industries (42%)

• Services and public-sector organisations (12%)

In total there will be 18,000 m2 of exhibition space, in a true showcase for new developments, technologies and services on offer from the leading companies in the relevant sectors. This comes at a time when Spanish shipbuilding industry is going through one of the busiest periods of its history.

Seminars, technical meetings, assemblies and top-level management meetings in the fishing, shipbuilding and ports sectors will make this event the international hub of the industry. Also taking part will be shipowners, purchasing managers and domestic and foreign shipyards, thanks to a programme designed especially for them, which has been implemented for the first time at SINAVAL-EUROFISHING.

Centre for fishing and shipbuilding matters

The General Assembly of Europêche/COGECA (Association of National Fishing Enterprises of the European Union), a meeting of the four working groups of the Regional Advisory Council (RAC) for the North Western Waters, a seminar on structural funds for fishing and a board meeting of FEICOPESCA (Spanish Federation of Associations of Fisheries Products and Fish-farming Processing and Marketing Enterprises) will discuss plans of action and the latest conclusions of strategic organisations related to the fishing industry and fishery policies.

The content of the shipbuilding and port related events will include seminars on Short Sea Shipping and Industrial and Service Vessels and the Conference of European Maritime Clusters, organised to mark the founding of the Spanish Maritime Cluster at SINAVAL-EUROFISHING. The founding ceremony is one of the outstanding events of the programme.

The 3rd International Shipping Meeting will play a prominent part in the proceedings. This is an event designed to energise and strengthen competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry and enhance its position in international markets. In the wake of the success of the first such meeting, when almost 90 companies held a total of 164 face-to-face meetings, the event is shaping up once again to be an optimum forum for joint action, business cooperation and technology transfers.

Positive response to shipowners programme

Shipowners from France, Germany, UK Norway, The Netherlands, Poland, Morocco, Russia and China have already responded to this specific programme directed at owners, purchasing managers and shipyards. It was designed by a specific working committee comprising representatives of the Basque Government, the Basque Maritime Forum, sectoral associations and federations last January. Along similar lines, contacts have been established with African countries with a view to attracting trade specialists who are key at this time in terms of their high purchasing power.

All guests will have the chance to meet with the speakers at the various events and with the exhibitors at SINAVAL-EUROFISHING in a special area set aside for the purpose. There, efforts will be centred on encouraging meetings between the sector's specialists.

Strong sectoral support

SINAVAL-EUROFISHING has the support of the following organisations:

• ADIMDE (Association of Basque Maritime Industry Companies)

• AEDIMAR (Spanish Association of Maritime Ancillary Industry Companies)

• ANABAC (National Association of Freezer Tuna Vessels)

• ANAVE (Association of Spanish Shipowners)

• ANFACO (National Association of Manufacturers of Canned Fish and Seafood)

• AINE (Spanish Association of Shipping and Oceanic Engineers)

• The Federations of Fisherman's Guilds of Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa

• The Basque Maritime Forum

• The Basque Government (Depts. of Fisheries and Industry)

• Innovamar

• OPPAO (Organisation of Deep-sea Fishing Producers)

• The State Ports organisation

• FEOPE (Spanish Federation of Fishing Organisations)

• PYMAR (Small & Medium-sized Shipyards)