VGB's German Pavilion of nuclear industry in Turkey

For the third time, VGB PowerTech organised and coordinated a joint booth / "German Pavilion" to support German-speaking countries' nuclear industry at the NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS II. EXPO & VI. SUMMIT in Istanbul, Turkey. This is a further event within VGB's initiative EFENDI "External promotion of German nuclear industry's exports of nuclear commodities" - as well as support in international markets and in global competition.

This annual conference and exhibition event supports and promotes the emerging Turkish nuclear market for design, construction and the upcoming operation of a number of nuclear units including Turkeys first nuclear power station (construction of four units [reactor type is VVER-1200 AES-2006] with an installed capacity of 4.800 MW at the Akkuyu site).

On March 5 - 6, 2019, 16 enterprises from Germany and Switzerland with nuclear portfolios presented and introduced their range of products and services to the Turkish market: valves technology, fire protection solutions, sealing technology / expansion joints, engineering, control room technology and devices, water treatment and extraction/filtration, safety/security doors, installation/fixing systems / anchor technology, materials / forging technology etc.

An attracting joint booth / "German Pavilion", designed to be used as a common, flexible information and communication area, was a good opportunity to present all this.

The enterprises within the VGB Delegation have pursued a targeted networking based on the B2B (business-to-business) matchmaking programme (NuclearDIRECT) offered by the event organiser. This is the direct contacting of potential customers and interested parties at the exhibition and within the international nuclear community.

The goal has been and remains to embed the nuclear industry over here into the Turkish nuclear power plant projects' local supply chain, still being established. In doing so, the opportunities of co-operation with enterprises interested in international partnership, especially with Turkish companies, were explored as well as contacts established and deepened. The participating companies have made use of introducing themselves to Turkish and international enterprises, of becoming acquainted with the Russian tendering and procurement process and of making themselves known accordingly. These companies have also positioned themselves towards international competitors. As it is known, nuclear power plant projects in Turkey are not yet developed thus far, what means that first of all a cooperation in non-nuclear business could be considered and of mutual advantage.

The participating enterprises within the VGB Delegation have reached an entirely positive conclusion at the end of the event. Numerous contact information and a joint networking have turned out to be valuable for further business. Several companies of the Delegation have already shown interest in participating in future VGB joint booths at international nuclear exhibitions.

VGB is convinced that the nuclear industry will continue to present its know-how, proven for many years in attracting joint booths offered by VGB within an international framework. This is an important step to sustain the nuclear expertise as well as the existing nuclear experiences and lessons-learned within the industry, even to refine and evolve - and all this despite a decided German nuclear phase-out.

This forms a basis for introducing and commercialising this know-how globally in the future, particularly in the construction, operation, decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear power plants and nuclear facilities as well. VGB will continue to support the industry's desire within its EFENDI initiative, e. g. by offering a next VGB joint booth / German Pavilion at one of the world's leading and largest nuclear exhibitions in Paris in June next year, the 2020 WORLD NUCLEAR EXHIBITION.