Europort time again

Europort ? to be held at Amsterdam?s RAI centre from November 13 to 17 ? will this year feature more than 550 exhibitors representing just about every aspect of sea transport and technology. A dozen national pavilions ? from Belgium, Denmark, Japan, the United Kingdom, Austria, the United States, South Korea, Germany, Russia, Poland and Greece, along with The Netherlands itself, represented by the Holland Marine Equipment group ? will ensure a suitably international tone. As Europort is a Dutch affair, it is reasonable to expect an emphasis on dredging. The conference programme linked to the exhibition includes CEDA Dredging Day, a focus for professionals from the dredging industry, on November 15. There will also be the addition of a new, two-day conference from the Seatrade Organisation on November 13 and 14 with the theme of “Cooperation in a changing maritime industry”. Panels of international experts will discuss various themes. Again, the Dutch character at Europort comes through in that there will be an extra focus on inland shipping this year ? Dutch waterway transport accounts for 67% of European transport on inland waterways. But, as the organisers put it, “The days when people associated inland waterways transport with pipe-smoking skippers in woollen sweaters are long gone. Modern canal and river people are true entrepreneurs who are engaged in a dynamic market and have highly promising prospects.” Inland shipping, and its related needs in infrastructural work on the railways will feature in a prominent position in the specially equipped simulator pavilion. The simulator pavilion, together with the adjoining inland waterways restaurant, is a feature of the show that is intended to function as a meeting place and source of entertainment. The radar and manoeuvring simulator is specially designed to teach people how to manoeuvre large vessels, plot courses on charts and read radar systems. The fully authentic wheelhouse and bridge offer countless opportunities for mastering the art of steering a ship and practising the various procedures. A competition will be held at the exhibition to test the skill and expertise of the inland waterways skippers. Old engines exhibit A special exhibition of old engines will be mounted in the Verbindingshal. This will feature developments in engines and propulsion systems in recent decades, and visitors will be able to enjoy the sight and sound of various engines actually in operation. Jobs, training and IT Maritime sector advances in computerisation will be featured in a special pavilion, while in the jobs and training pavilion the focus will be on occupational and career opportunities in the maritime sector, job vacancies and training courses.