BOURGET: The EURONAVAL exhibition closes its doors this Friday 21st October after a week dedicated to the future of navies and innovation in the naval industry.
This year’s edition was full of news, with numerous political and institutional visits, exclusive daily announcements, and a special focus on naval technologies of the future.
In total, more than 450 exhibitors, 150 French, European and international official delegations and 350 accredited journalists attended the exhibition over the four days, confirming its status as the world’s leading event in the sector.
Here are some of the highlights.
1. Daily high-profile political and institutional visits
For its opening day, the exhibition was visited by the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Mr Sébastien Lecornu, who spent several hours talking to the defence companies who were presenting the latest current and future armament programmes.
The Minister recalled in particular the importance of a powerful and ocean-focused Navy in a high-pressure geopolitical context. The same morning, the Secretary of State for the Sea, Mr. Hervé Berville, met the actors of a dual and sustainable naval industry.
Thomas Gassilloud, Chairman of the Defence Committee of the French National Assembly, Guillaume Kasbarian, Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly and Christian Cambon, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee of the French Senate, as well as several delegations of deputies and senators attended the exhibition.
The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkhard, the General Delegate for Armaments (DGA) Mr. Emmanuel Chiva and the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Pierre Vandier also contributed to the success of the exhibition.
Finally, the presence of the Secretary General for the Sea, Didier Lallement, the Secretary General for Defence and National Security (SGDSN), Stéphane Bouillon, and the MEDEF Defence Committee should be noted.
2. The new generation aircraft carrier (PA-Ng) – star of EURONAVAL 2022
Naval Group and the General Directorate for Armament (DGA) chose EURONAVAL to present the model of the new French aircraft carrier, the construction of which was announced in 2018 at EURONAVAL by the Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly.
In addition to the model displayed on the Naval Group stand, whose design is almost complete, the technical characteristics of the PA-Ng were unveiled. The ship will weigh 75,000 tonnes, measure 310 x 85 metres, and will be able to accommodate nearly 40 combat aircraft and helicopters, as well as a 2,000-strong crew on board. This makes it the largest military ship ever built in Europe. It is scheduled to enter service in 2038.
3. An edition packed with daily news
• An international opening conference in Paris, attended by an audience of over 300
• Two web-conferences in cooperation with the two think-tanks CESM and FMES
• A hundred or so workshops, round tables and pitches organised during the exhibition covering all issues, products and innovations in the naval defence industry
• The publication of the JANES / GICAN / PRAXIAL study “The world defense shipbuilding”
• The announcement of the merger between ECA Group and iXblue, becoming EXAIL
• The organization of a France-Greece forum for maritime and naval cooperation
• For the first time, the presence of Portuguese and Greek pavilions at the show
4. Focus on future technologies with the EURONAVAL Awards for naval innovation and the SEAnnovation awards
The EURONAVAL Awards for naval innovation rewarded four exhibiting companies according to four criteria: innovation, sustainability, duality and credibility.
These awards were open to all exhibiting companies. The jury of 5 experts chose the following winners:
– ARKEOCEAN, awarded for its SEAKER technology (fully integrated acoustic USBL systems)
– ELWAVE, which uses biomimicry to design electromagnetic detection and navigation systems.
– OPTICS 11, which develops innovative fibre optic detection solutions.
– THALES, awarded for its quantum antenna.
The SEAnnovation awards were presented to three French and foreign start-ups among the 34 star companies exhibiting in this space, exclusively dedicated to start-ups.
After an initial selection and a pitch session, the jury, composed of industrial and institutional experts, chose the following winners:
– DIAMFAB wins the “technological promise” award
– MY DATA MODELS wins the “response to an operational need” award
– OLEDCOMM wins the “scaling up” award
5. Dynamic communication for exhibitors
• Every morning, EURONAVAL exhibitors and visitors had access to the exhibition’s daily printed newsletter, produced by EDR, highlighting the exhibitors, compiling the previous day’s events and announcing the day’s meetings.
• The online “daily”, produced by Naval News, was used to communicate the exhibitors’ press releases, keep up to date in real time and report the exhibition’s news.
• The EURONAVAL TV studio, in partnership with Kera Group, offered exhibitors unique visibility with more than 25 interviews and a cumulated airtime of ten hours.
• Daily videos published on EURONAVAL TV by partner VITC, highlighting exhibitors and their innovations.
• A press centre of more than 150 sqm, a genuine reception area, providing journalists with all the information they need about the exhibition and its exhibitors.
EURONAVAL 2022 key figures:
450 exhibitors including 55% from abroad
30 exhibiting nationalities
12 national pavilions including newcomer Greece
150 French, European and worldwide official delegations
39 Navy chiefs of staff
22,000 professional visits
84 workshops and exhibitor pitches organised at the exhibition
1,400 BtoB meetings carried out at the exhibition
300 accredited journalists
Hugues d’Argentré, director of the EURONAVAL exhibition, stated: “EURONAVAL 2022 was an exceptional show for all the exhibitors and visitors, who were at last able to return to a key event for navies from all over the world and companies in the naval sector.
“The geopolitical, energy and climate crises that are challenging our societies have prompted all those involved in the defense and security of their countries to come together at this exhibition.
“The reliable and rewarding cooperation between SOGENA, GICAN and DGA has largely contributed to the success of this edition.
“In the opinion of the exhibitors themselves, EURONAVAL 2022 is a great success and probably the best edition in 50 years.”
Newspakistan.tv | YouTube Channel
