German Technology Transfer
German companies
are looking to bring their
trenchless technology to the region and capitalise
on the development and upgrading of utilities
infrastructure.
Trenchless technology enables underground utilities
to be installed or repaired without the need for
continuous trenches to be excavated, thus minimising
the level of surface disruption and costs incurred.
There was an official German presence at the
Trenchless Middle East exhibition in Dubai on 12-13
March in a strong show of support for the German
manufacturing sector from its government.
Professor Jens Hölterhoff, Chairman of the German
Society for Trenchless Technology, said the support
of the government in allocating funds towards the
German pavilion gave companies the chance to build
up a network of contacts or find local partners - an
opportunity they would ordinarily find harder to
afford off the back of their own financial
resources.
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He said there were various other reasons for
companies' participation. Some were simply trying to
sell their products, others their know-how. Even
companies already established in the Middle East,
such as tunnelling machine manufacturers
Herrenknecht and Bohrtec, were making the most of
the opportunity.
Dr Gregor Nieder, Managing Director of Bohrtec,
said, "We have already achieved a lot in the Middle
East and have a high percentage of the market here
with our microtunnelling machine. We want to have a
good contact to the existing clients and be
involving in the coming projects. There will be a
lot of these in the Middle East."
German participants agreed that their interests in
utilities projects spanned water supply, wastewater,
sewage and even traffic tunnelling, whilst Professor
Hölterhoff pointed out that the exhibition was "not
just about construction, but also about renovation,"
referring to the need to modernise the region's
utility infrastructure.
He declared himself satisfied with the custom
received. "A lot of interested parties have been
here, many conversations have taken place and in the
course of the next few months these contacts must be
consolidated," he said.
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