bauma 2013 – The spotlight on mining again and Indonesia selected as the partner­ country

bauma is not only the leading trade fair for construction machinery and building material machines (Fig. 1). 2010 showed very clearly that it is also a major attraction for the mining industry: Of the 420 000 trade visitors to bauma in 2010, a good quarter of them were interested in the section on mining. This International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment is therefore also the world’s largest event for the mining sector. At the next bauma, from 15.-21.04.2013 in Munich, companies engaged in the mining sector will again be presenting their products and services to the international trade audience in a dedicated exhibition hall and on the outdoor area (Fig. 2).

German safety technology is very much in demand, and particularly so abroad. The mining machinery section of the German Engineering Federation, the VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.V.), has therefore started a South America Initiative aimed at further expanding the trade relations with that part of the world. “Our high-quality technology helps make mines in South America safer,” stressed Dr. Paul Rheinländer, VDMA Chairman. Accordingly, German technology and know-how will be contributing to increased safety in the ­Colombian mining industry, particularly in underground mining, and it will help boost extraction volumes. A strategic cooperation, as well as a partnership on safety, will also encompass technology transfer.

Around the world mining companies are pushing ahead with automation – ever more processes are being automated to counter the lack of skilled labor. In Australian mines this is particularly evident. The example of the Carborough Downs coal mine shows the importance customers place on quality, safety and value in the machinery they buy, and also how international their purchasing activities are: In one longface wall using Polish roof supports (Tagor), Australian chain conveyors (Inbye/Nepean), Australian switchgear and longwall monitoring system (MI-Power/Nepean) and a German control system (Tiefenbach), the SL1000 shearer (Eickhoff) gathers in the 4.5 to 5.7-meter thick seam. This project and many others are the reason why the companies associated in the mining machinery section of the VDMA will enjoy the best year in their history in 2011, with sales increasing by 32 % to around 5 billion €. The explanation for this growth, he says, lies in the ever increasing demand for raw materials around the world, in particular from the emerging countries which are developing fast. Increasingly machinery and plant is being ordered for the expansion of existing mines or for opening new ones. Extraction volumes are therefore constantly rising. One example quoted by Rheinländer is India, the partner country of the last bauma, where this year he expects sales to increase by 50 %.

Indonesia has been chosen as the partner country for the next edition of bauma. Indonesia has a population of 238 million, a gross domestic product of 720 billion US$ (2010) and is one of the 20 largest economies in the world. The country’s building industry is booming and in the raw materials sector, too, major investment is scheduled for the medium term – all of which are good reasons why bauma should focus more closely on this economic region and the exciting opportunities it offers for the future.

The aim is to leverage Indonesia’s significant business potential for the international construction machinery, building materials machinery and mining machinery industry. A co-initiator of the partner country concept of bauma, along with Messe München, is the German Engineering Federation, VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau). The concept was first implemented in 2001, and each time it offers the chosen country many benefits. So, too, at bauma 2013: The representatives from Indonesia will have the opportunity, in the lecture program, to present their country to the trade audience as an investment location and partner for upcoming projects. As well as an “Indonesia Forum”, during the entire show there will also be an “Indonesia Business Lounge”, presented by the VDMA. Here bauma exhibitors and visitors can come together to discuss the partner country and projects.