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SMM '92-THE HAMBURG SHOW International Shipping & Marine Technology Market September 29-October 3 Situated on the Elbe River in the center of Europe, the modern port city of Hamburg, with a maritime tradition dating back more than 800 years, will once again play host to one of the world's largest bien- nial trade exhibitions for the ship- building, marine technology and marine equipment industries. Scheduled for September 29 to October 3, 1992, the International Shipping & Marine Technology Market with Congress, more com- monly called SMM '92, is expected to draw more than 30,000 visitors from 50 countries to the Hamburg Exhibition Center located in the heart of Hamburg. Sections of the exhibition area, which covers over 462,680 square feet in 12 halls, will be dedicated to: the shipbuilding industry; installations and equip- ment; engines and propulsion sys- tems; electrical systems and elec- tronics; pumps, compressors, fit- tings and auxiliary machinery; cargo-handling systems; port ser- vices and waste disposal; ports, ship- ping companies and waterways; ma- rine and offshore technology; national joint ventures; research and devel- opment; education and training; and classification. Between 500 and 600 exhibitors are expected to have stands, with national participation from Canada, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Nor- way, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Although orders for new ships fell last year, due for the most part to the uncertainty surrounding new envi- ronmental legislation, world eco- nomic conditions and the impact of the Gulf War, most analyses point to continued growth for the maritime sector in the 1990s. Moreover, envi- ronmental awareness will increase worldwide with higher demands on safety and environmental protection. This will require new investment in the existing fleet as well as pur- chases of new vessels. Norwegian owners alone are expected to invest as much as $25 billion on new ships over the next five years. The German Federation of Ship- building and Marine Technology (VSM), for example, considers 1991 to have been a successful year for shipbuilding, especially with regard to the delivery of a number of special purpose-built ships and the devel- opment of new concepts. VSM's op- timism perhaps can be traced to the continued need for the upgrading of the aging world fleet, the expansion of global trade and the compelled replacement of some tankers due to new OPA 90 and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules governing the tanker fleet. At the end of 1991, the world order book stood at 43 million gross tons, its highest level since 1977. It was the fifth consecutive year that the order book has risen. Furthermore, the political changes in Eastern Europe and the introduction of the single Eu- ropean Market represent substan- tial opportunities for the interna- tional maritime industry. The impact and repercussions of all these social, political and economic factors will be examined and discussed during the five days of the exhibition and accompany- ing congress. Joint Stand On Pollution Control In light of new regulations gov- erning oil spillage, exhaust emis- sions and waste disposal, as well as the general heightened aware- ness for the global marine envi- ronment, a joint stand at SMM '92 intends to demonstrate the lead- ing technology to detect and fight marine pollution. The IMO will present specialist publications dealing with the subject of marine September, 1992 47
