CeMAT Asia 2007 will take place from October 10 to 13 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.

Founded in 2000, this annual premium logistics event has become an influential platform for trade and information exchange in Asia.

Jointly organized by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, Deutsche Messe and Hannover Fairs Shanghai, CeMAT Asia will join hands with PTC Asia and CeBIT Asia, to present a perfect mix of both information technology and industrial manufacturing and stage an integrated professional industrial pageant as an ideal springboard to the market in Asia.

Nearly 1,000 companies from over 80 countries are expected to attend.

With a biggest-ever display area in its history, exceeding 24,000 sq m and occupying two separate halls, the upcoming session is expected to attract more than 380 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions.

Recent years have witnessed a growing popularity of large-scale automatic warehousing systems, which has led to increasing demand for material handling machinery.

Since 2005, Chinese players have undergone a total change from being in a subordinate state to growing into a dynamic force in the global transportation vehicles and logistics technology.

The display area booked by local companies has been expanding year-on-year and is expected to reach 80,000 sq m during this year's session, an increase of nearly 30 percent over last year.

Taking the cue from the boom of the logistics industry in recent years, many domestic mechanical equipment manufacturers have now entered forklift manufacturing.

A new line-up of forklift exhibitors such as Jingjiang, Liugong and YTO will come on stage together with local big names such as Heli, Baoli, Yougao and Jingjiang.

With increasing awareness of pollution, protection of the environment has emerged as a major concern. In keeping with these concerns, CeMAT Asia 2007 will feature environment-friendly electric forklifts.

Danaher Motion, the world's top-class electric forklift equipment manufacturer, will present an onsite demonstration of the latest AC-driven forklift system.

Compared with forklifts driven by the internal-combustion engine, the electric forklift is popular for its high energy-transformation ratio, zero exhaust emission and low noise.

China's electric forklift industry is still in its infancy but has huge market potential, according to industry insiders.

The showcasing of the world's leading forklift manufacturers, including the world's top 10 forklift manufacturers such as Linde, Toyota, Jungheinrich, Komatsu, Vita-Wheel and OM, will constitute the core competence of the show.

Forklift component leaders including Cascade, KAUP and BOLZONI AURAMO are also in an upbeat mood. Other forklift component manufacturers and companies such as Pyroban, Kalmar, Fantuzzi, FAAM, Hoppecke and Top Tiger will also join this global forklift arena.

With the implementation of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), the focus of government investment is on major infrastructure projects and large-scale industrial projects, and this will spur the development of the logistics equipment market.

Another highlight of the upcoming event is the Hoisting Equipment and Components Area. The world's top four crane leaders KONE, DEMAG, STAHL and ABUS will be featured, besides many famous local and foreign brands such as KITO, Bando, Gorbel, Trevolution and HBC.

In the segment on warehousing technology and workshop equipment, domestic experts including Beijing Materials Handling Research Institute, Shenyang Aircraft Group, Damon Group, Gangyu, Formosa Plastics Group and Tigertech will present their cutting-edge technologies and products.

A wide array of local manufacturers such as OTL, Stow, Jingxing, Inform, NOVA and Dongfang will compete with their overseas competitors such as FKI, Knapp, Crawford and SINOLINK.

Many high-level conferences will be concurrently held, such as the China International Logistics Equipment and Technology Market Symposium 2007, and the First Logistics Equipment and Technology Innovation Forum.

Applications-oriented events will be anchored by the 2007 China International Logistics Equipment and Technology Symposium, the Seminar on Modern Pharmaceutical Logistics and the Advanced Application on Tobacco Logistics in China.

The 2007 China Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Forum will, for the first time, focus on the logistics industry, offering visitors a fascinating glance into the latest know-how in global RFID development.

Focusing on automobile and its spare part manufacturing, business, shipping, retail industry, metallurgy, port equipment, consumer electronics, IT communications and other logistics equipment and technologies, organizers will go all out to offer exhibitors and visitors the utmost returns, in cooperation with Alibaba, one of the world's largest online B2B marketplaces.

(China Daily 10/09/2007 page17)