International Congress-Exhibition Tunnelling and Underground Infrastructure in Urban Areas

According to the press release, the first ever Tunnelling and Underground Infrastructure in Urban Areas International Congress and Exhibition will take place from 10 to 11 September 2012 in the JW Marriott Absheron Hotel in Baku. The event was devised by the Azerbaijan Tunnelling Association, a member of the World Tunnelling Association since 2011 and the only organisation of its type in the region.

The ever-growing demand for efficient use of urban space lies at the heart of the event's relevance. Effective subsurface construction of underground roads, car parks, tunnels, metro networks, and shops is attracting considerable interest from designers, architects, builders, city authorities, tunnel builders, municipal services, and representatives from many other areas. Intelligent and modern use of underground space is a necessity in cities of all sizes.

The development of the underground communications and utilities industry needs more investment. Creating and expanding underground infrastructure will be one of the main development areas for cities around the world, which means there is a strong base for attracting foreign investment. In Azerbaijan, as in many other countries, the issue of using underground space is particularly acute. Rising living standards and a growing economy have heightened the demand for public and private transport, which in turn has led to a need for more tunnels. This is why the Baku International and Exhibition Congress Tunnelling and Underground Infrastructure in Urban Areas is being held - an event which will give world leading companies an excellent opportunity to present their experience, technology, resources, and solutions for underground construction to senior figures of the industry.

The upcoming event in Baku was presented at the World Tunnel Congress and the 38th ITA General Assembly in Bangkok from 20 to 23 May 2012 by K. Muradova, Head of the Organizing Committee of the International Congress. In-Mo Lee, the President of the World Tunnelling Association, supported the event in Baku, noting the ever more significant role of Azerbaijan in the region and the many infrastructure projects underway in the capital. He then proceeded to invite the WTC delegates to come to Baku and take part in the International Congress Tunnelling and Underground Infrastructure in Urban Areas. 

There has already been major international interest in the event, with professionals, organisations, and companies from countries such as Azerbaijan, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, the USA, Canada, and South Korea already having announced their participation. 300 delegates have signed up for the conference, including high-ranking officials from Government bodies, senior figures from international organisations and CEOs of companies from numerous countries. With this in mind, among the speakers at the congress are Abid Sherifov, Vice premier Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Abulfas Garayev, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan, In Mo Lee  President ITA-AITES, Dr. Martin Herrenknecht, Chairman of the Board of Management of Herrenknecht AG,  Rick Lovat, P. Eng., President, L2 Advisors Inc., Christian Gazagnes General Director of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Michel Deffayet, Director of Tunnels Study Centre and  Representative of the Ministry of Transport and Ecology of France, Lars Babendererde the President of Babendererde Engineers LLC and many other key industry players.

The topics discussed at the congress reflect the actual themes, including: Presentation of infrastructure projects: extension of metro, tunnel, highway and railways in Azerbaijan and Russia, Ukraine and other European countries; Underground Infrastructure as a solution for modern urbanization; Urban tunnelling;  Construction of underground infrastructures in complex geological conditions; Latest technical innovations in tunnelling; Urban tunnels driving: methods and risk control; Security and safety in tunnels and in underground structures.

An exhibition will take place alongside the conference in the JW Marriott Absheron Baku Hotel, with leading companies presenting the latest equipment, projects and technologies related to tunnel construction. Among the exhibitors are "AzertunelMetroTikinti SC" (Azerbaijan), Akkord (Azerbaijan), Azerkorpu (Azerbaijan), AzVirt (Azerbaijan), BASF (Azerbaijan), CAI (Ukraine), Herrenknecht (Germany), Soldata (Ukraine), Vinci Construction (France), Buoygues TP (France), Tikilen Baki Metropoliteni (Azerbaijan), KorpiBinaTikinti (Azerbaijan), Dneprotex Service (Ukraine), Maccaferri (Russia) and others.

An official catalogue will be issued for the exhibition containing detailed information on exhibitors, as will congress materials with speaker biographies and descriptions of participating companies.

In this way, the congress and exhibition offer an excellent opportunity for professionals to exchange experience, share their success and keep track of the latest development trends in tunnelling and underground construction. The events meet one of their main objectives - encouraging business cooperation at a global level.

A key business event of the congress, and one which fully addresses the concerns of Azerbaijan's young professionals, is a seminar for students of the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction entitled Urban Tunnel Construction. The seminar aims to inform students of the new methods and technologies used in tunnelling and underground construction, as well as familiarising them with experience of underground space use in various European cities. Speakers include authorities of the industry and heads of major construction companies from France and Germany. The seminar, exclusively for university students, will take place at the university on 12 September. Certificates from the World Tunnelling Association will be awarded on conclusion of the seminar.

The event is supported by the World Tunnelling Association, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Executive Power of Baku City, Azerbaijan Construction and Architecture Institute, the French Tunnelling Association, and the Azerbaijan Tunnelling Association. The Organising partner is Iteca Caspian LLC.

The sponsors include "AzertunelMetroTikinti SC" (General Sponsor), "Herrenknecht", "Vinci Construction", "Bouygues TP", "Tikilen Baki Metropoliteni", "KorpiBinaTikinti", "Azerkorpu", and "Akkord". -0-