THE INDUSTRY MEETING

Polyurea and its revolutionary uses: the successful presentation of Graco’s reactor proportioners

On 17 March 2023, the Vergallo Group’s corporate headquarters in Corigliano d’Otranto (Lecce, Italy) hosted an exclusive presentation event of the Reactor polyurea proportioners produced by Graco, a leading American company. The VECO Equipment division of the Vergallo Group, which is a distributor of Graco’s products for Italy, Albania, and Malta, provided the workshop’s participants with a unique opportunity to explore the potential of polyurea and learn about the advantages of this material in the production and processing of steel and precast concrete.

Graco’s Reactor proportioners are currently the world’s most advanced systems for spraying polyurea, a highly resistant waterproofing material. Polyurea is already being successfully utilised in many applications and sectors, including the military and defence sector.

Indeed, armed forces around the world, including the US ARMY, US NAVY, and US AIR FORCE, take advantage of its water, flame, explosion, EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), weathering, and corrosion resistance.

The event offered a detailed overview of the many applications of polyurea, showing the ways in which this material can be used in the production of steel and precast concrete. Participants had the opportunity to discuss directly with company executives about the possible applications of this technology in their own production and work activities.

Among the highlights of the event, speakers emphasised the unique properties of polyurea, including as follows:

 high wear and abrasion resistance: polyurea ensures durable protection against wear and abrasion, making it ideal for industrial and military applications;

 impermeability: due to its chemical structure, polyurea forms a waterproof barrier that prevents the infiltration of water and moisture.

 chemical resistance: polyurea resists a wide range of chemicals, including oils, fuels, and solvents, guaranteeing reliable protection in aggressive environments.

 flexibility and adaptability: polyurea can be applied to different surfaces, adhering perfectly to materials such as metal, concrete, and wood, conforming to their shapes and textures.

The success of the event is proof of the growing interest in the use of polyurea in the steel and precast concrete production and processing sectors. Now, thanks to the collaboration between Vergallo and Graco, Italian, Albanian, and Maltese companies can have access to innovative polyurea-based solutions that improve the quality and durability of their products. www.vecoequipment.com

In addition to informative presentations, the event included live demonstrations of polyurea application using Graco’s Reactor proportioners. These allowed participants to observe first-hand the effectiveness and versatility of this innovative material and, at the same time, the potential offered by the Reactor spraying systems.

Discussions between participants and company representatives highlighted further opportunities for the use of polyurea in various sectors, including the construction, civil engineering, petrochemical, and renewable energy ones. In addition, polyurea could have a significant impact on corrosion prevention and on the protection of critical infrastructure, including bridges, dams, and pipelines.

Therefore, the presentation of Graco’s Reactor polyurea proportioners organised by Vergallo was an important event for industry professionals interested in learning about the latest innovations and the potential offered by polyurea.

The collaboration between Graco and Vergallo now enables Italian, Albanian, and Maltese companies to benefit from state-of-the-art solutions that improve the quality and durability of their products by taking advantage of the extraordinary properties of polyurea.

There are over 10,000 Level I, II and III inspectors in 74 countries worldwide, as large clients consider the qualification of Coating Inspector Frosio as a reference for monitoring the quality of the application of a painting cycle.

There are 367 active Certifications in Italy, of which 109 Level I (white card), 115 Level II (Green card) and 143 Level III (red card). The certification is in accordance with the Frosio Certification SCHEME, which follows the requirements of ISO 17024.

The University of Genova, accredited by FROSIO as a Training Body, is in charge of organising courses in the Italian language exclusively for the Italian territory. To date, 20 courses have been organised.

The Gruppo IspAC Associazione (GIA), accredited by FROSIO as Certifying Body, is in charge of organising the exams for the Qualification and Certification of Coating Inspectors Level I, II and III, renewal of certifications and level ups exclusively for the Italian territory. Gruppo

SIFER beats all attendance records for this 13th edition

Organised in the centre of Europe’s railway region, SIFER – the only international rail event in France – confirmed again its pivotal position in the French railway industry.

A total of 7000 visitors walked along the aisles of Lille Grand Palais during this 13th edition of SIFER, from 28 to 30 March. The event hosted 378 exhibitors, of whom 24% were new participants, coming from 20 countries, accounting for 22% of international companies. With the support of partners and exhibitors, 43 sessions and 20 associated events (conferences, round tables, workshops, presentations) were organised.

This record attendance underlines the dynamism of the sector, which is revolving around a major topic: innovation, in response to competitivity and climate issues. The French railway industry is indeed launched at full speed.

SIFER – The one event reuniting the industry

For 20 years, SIFER has acted as an emulator on behalf of the actors of the sector by offering an ideal platform to debate and discuss the future of the sector: “SIFER is the most attractive exhibition in which we participate because its size allows quality interactions and we appreciate the diversity of the visitors we meet: customers, partners, prospects” – Stéphane Celle, Sferis Sales Manager.

It is therefore no coincidence that the FIF (French Railway Industries Association) decided to launch the 2nd part of CORIFER, the Steering Committee for Research and Innovation in the Railway Sector. This CORIFER 2, meant to “accelerate industrialisation”, according to its vice-president Carole Desnot, encompasses 4 major themes: Smart Industry, Smart Train, Green Train and Inclusive Mobility. Topics that were at the heart of the discussions of the show: “without research and innovation, you die” said Louis Nègre, President of the FIF, during the Opening Ceremony. “Inflation, supply disruptions, the attractiveness of the sector...: it is necessary to fight on all these subjects” added Philippe Citroën, President of UNIFE.

The FIF Village - a brand new space at the show

This year, the presence of the French Railway Industries Association grew in power by offering a space where conferences and presentations were held on topics ranging from European rail recovery plans to decarbonisation, innovation and the attractiveness of the sector.

Among the highlights proposed: the CS2F Steering Committee, upcoming projects in the regions, or the presentation of CORIFER’s 4 roadmaps.

Innovation, a renewed ambition materializing

For the first time, SIFER welcomed innovative start-ups in a common dedicated space: the Innovation Hub. 8 companies were able to show projects with a high potential to enhance the skills competitivity in the sector. The innovative Light Rail was also put in the spotlight during a conference hosted by IRT Railenium, and at the Railway Innovation Awards Ceremony organised by i-Trans. The SNCF was rewarded for this project, which was considered by its director Jacques Berling “a jump in performance similar to that of the TGV at the time, but at the territorial level”. The Rail Open Lab round table demonstrated the ability of an Open Association to accelerate innovation. AIF addressed the subject of cybersecurity, a major topic in today’s rail reality.

Results of the i-Trans Rail Innovation Awards

 “Best Large Company” category: SNCF for the innovative Light Rail project.

 “Best SME” category: Moïz, a start-up from the CNRS laboratory in Grenoble, developing a connected measurement module without batteries or wires.

 “Jury’s favourite” prize: LIB Ferroviaire and its ThioTrack innovation, a green crossing approved by SNCF.

“SIFER is a great networking platform. This year is our first participation as an exhibitor, in the Innovation Hub. We came to show our project and prospect within the sector in order to make our new tool well known” – Florent Busson, Director of travauxferroviaires.com

“SIFER allows us to meet many clients in a short amount of time, whereas normally we would have to travel all across France to meet them. We also appreciate the exhibition for the new contacts that we create. This year, the environment was the major topic with many questions about the recyclability of our products” – Pierre Lecomble, Commercial Strail France www.sifer-expo.com

The next edition of SIFER will take place from 24 to 26 June 2025.

OMC: alliances, cooperation and sustainability

OMC - Med Energy Conference and Exhibition is the not-tomiss meeting in Ravenna (Italy), which over the years has been recognised as the main hub for energy issues in the Mediterranean. This year edition will be held in May, from 23th to 25th, and will be an opportunity to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the event. The goal is to re-discuss the energy industry from the perspective of energy transition, respecting the principles of sustainable development. After the OMC participation - for the first time - in the COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh in November 2022, the need for an alliance between the countries of the North and South Mediterranean has become even more evident. OMC, as a physical and metaphorical meeting place between stakeholders and institutions from all over the world, has always prized the Mediterranean and its crucial role, which has shaped the history of culture and civilization, a meeting point between the cultures of the world.

Ravenna confirms itself, edition after edition, as the energy capital for the Mediterranean, in the centre of discussions and reflections on the transition path underway, and as a place where, thanks to OMC, all interested parties – consumers, energy producers and institutions – meet and cooperate with each other to build synergetic solutions. The 2023 edition will also be an opportunity to focus attention on local and national energy security and supply plans: in fact, Ravenna plays its role to offer for the transition and the improvement of the country’s energy security, with planning and implementing of many important projects at the local level. Alliance, sharing and cooperation facilitate the development of conventional and renewable energy resources, to diversify sources in Europe and increase the energy independence of countries. Technological neutrality is one of the fundamental pillars of the www.omc.it

OMC: all energy sources must be exploited and used to the fullest, in an energy mix that always has the drastic reduction of climate-changing emissions as its objective. The approach is holistic, therefore it involves the circular economy, bio-products and decarbonisation tools (such as CCS and CCUS), all this is intended to improve the efficiency and sustainability of processes. In May 2023 we will then talk about the future: startups, students, universities will have large space within the event. The Innovation Room will be dedicated to their contributions, to include them in a contest, thus increasing the dialogue between companies and the academic world and creating new skills.

The next edition will welcome 16,000 participants and 500 exhibiting companies. OMC will host over 30 key players of the energy industry, Ministers, CEO’s, and Managing Directors from 25 countries, as well as more than 200 technical sessions, a tangible sign of the commitment of all international actors involved in the organization of OMC: associations, public, media and private, and of course, exhibitors in the first place. It will be a unique opportunity for the participants to interface with customers and suppliers, find new partners and consolidate existing relationships, having available networking spaces open to the public, such as the B2B Energy Business Meetings area and the Commercial Presentation Theater where companies will be able to take turns on stage to present their products, services and know-how in front of an audience of industry professionals.

The world of energy will meet in Ravenna, we look forward to welcoming you!

Leading operators and the Cypriot Government united to develop the Eastern Mediterranean energy industry in 2023

The Eastern Med is fast becoming one of the hottest sustainable energy basins in the world and with continued project expansion from the majors including TotalEnergies, Eni and Chevron as well as a renewed impetus to develop E&P prospects, gas processing and LNG infrastructure across the region, the Eastern Med looks set to continue its rapid development trajectory. With this in mind and led by the Government of Cyprus, the EMC team have brought together the leading operators and government stakeholders including Chevron, ENI Cyprus, TotalEnergies Cyprus, NewMed Energy, ExxonMobil, Energean Greece, Saipem, ENPEDCO, CHC, HEREMA, DEFA, EPE, to name a few to form EMC 2023’s advisory board to help guide the development of the EMC 2023 programme that will act as the premier decision-making platform for developments in the region.

Eastern Med energy developments continued at pace in February & March

With an estimated 122 tcf of natural gas spanning the deep offshore plays of the region, there have been several major new developments to note in the past month and the next six to twelve months look to be an important period in the development of the energy basin – with so much at stake, EMC 2023 is a must attend for anyone looking to operate in or enter the Eastern Mediterranean energy community. March and February saw a fever pitch of activity with a number of new bidding rounds announced by Cairo, whose sole aim is to take domestic production to the next level and set the strategically important nation on the path to becoming an exporter of LNG. Israel too has seen a stack of new field developments and further collaboration with Egypt has meant that the prospect of a new FLNG unit in the Leviathan field. Sharing common acreage and with similar natural gas deposits of around 30-35 tcf, Israel and Egypt offer one another an expedient energy partnership. Similarly eyeing the prospects of energy independence and hard currency revenues of offshore gas, Lebanon this month also announced plans to begin drilling offshore by the summer. A key corporate and industry hub for the burgeoning energy markets in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus too has announced that its much-vaunted LNG jetty terminal is close to completion and with record levels of planned investments into the offshore gas plays, the island nation looks determined to become not only an operational hub but also a corporate partner for its partners across the region. Unrivalled by any other forum and with thousands of attendees, #EMC2023 is both a must attend for anyone operating in the area and for anyone looking to enter this lucrative and up and coming frontier energy sector.

What is EMC? Join the East Med energy community!

Held over 3 days – from 28th to 30th November - in Limassol (Cyprus), this exhibition will offer the opportunity to meet new contacts, consolidate existing relationships and participate in nearly 30 panel and keynote speaker sessions designed specifically to develop the strategies needed to overcome the challenges of moving toward a sustainable energy transition. With support from the highest levels of government and industry, EMC 2023 is a unique forum and platform that allows the leading players in the region to help decide and drive the future of the Clean-Energy revolution. We look forward to welcoming you to our brand-new EMC home – the Limassol Exhibition Venue at City of Dreams Resort. Welcome to what will be a must-attend event in 2023!

www.emc-cyprus.com

Railtex 2023: full steam ahead with powerful partnerships, a strong line-up of new exhibitors and an exciting programme

The show provides a unique opportunity to meet with national and international players and thought leaders, all looking to enhance the passenger experience, freight logistics and the overall efficiency of railway operations. Participants can expect live demonstrations of new machines and systems, technical in-person discussions and a rich supporting programme packed with keynote speakers from leading industry names. Railtex will once again reinforce its role as the central marketplace for the industry to come together and discuss both challenges and opportunities in the light of current developments within the rail industry.

Keeping the current rail market in mind, it is particularly important to focus on crucial topics such as decarbonisation and investments to create a more sustainable rail industry, the digitalisation of rail transport, as well as the passenger experience. It is essential to not only address and mirror these topics, but to also come together to find common solutions and shape a successful future for the rail industry. This is precisely what Railtex facilitates. “Railtex 2023 is the place to be with all key players gathered in one place. We are glad to have the great support from our main show partner RIA – the Railway Industry Association, as well as our show partners, Rail Forum, Railway Benefit Fund, the CPD Certification Services, our media partners, and many more.” states Olaf Freier, the Transport Portfolio Director.

Network Rail and The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) as part of an extensive supporting programme

As the leading one-stop-shop event for the entire railway industry in the UK, Railtex reflects the dynamic developments in the sector and the vision of the rail network of the future via an exciting supporting programme.

“We are delighted that the Railway Industry Association will be the main show partner at Railtex 2023, providing an extensive programme across the event. Our programme this year is bigger than ever and includes a Future Focus Conference, to provide an environment where strategic discussions on the future of UK rail can take place, an Innovation Village, where key clients, stakeholders and suppliers will showcase what they are doing on innovation, the RIA Networking Zone and Meet the Buyer programme to support companies looking to get new products and services onto the network, and a Young Rail Professional

Conference, bringing a new generation in rail to the show.” says Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association.

The programme will include keynotes, Q&A sessions and panel discussions held by a remarkable line-up of speakers, including leading figures from politics and industry and many other valuable actors from the rail industry, with the participation of Network Rail and The Great British Railways Transition Team. All sessions are free to attend and CPD certified. More details will be published in the run-up to the show. The Innovation Village will be part of the ‘Unlocking Innovation’ programme, organised by RIA and supported by Network Rail’s R&D Portfolio. Furthermore, the show features the popular On-Track Display area, sponsored by long-standing partner British Steel. It demonstrates tools and equipment in an authentic rail setting.

Strong line-up of new exhibitors: products and services at the show

So far, fifty new companies are amongst the exhibitors that have already confirmed their participation at Railtex 2023, all serving the future development of the UK railway industry with their products and services. Both the Railtex Exhibitor List tool and the Online Show Preview with detailed information on the many exhibitors and products are regularly updated and available at www.railtex.co.uk. The Exhibitor List tool helps users to effectively prepare for their visit by finding the companies and products most relevant to them. The Online Show Preview provides an overview of the wide variety of innovations, technologies and systems on display at the event.

www.railtex.co.uk