There was once again considerable interest in IranConMin in 2017: some 20,500 visitors attended the trade fair for mining, construction machinery and construction systems, which took place from 4th to 7th November 2017 in Tehran. Nearly 300 exhibitors from 15 countries showcased their product portfolios on a surface area of 16,000 m2. As a result, the 13th edition of the region’s biggest mining and construction fair was able to maintain the previous year’s upward momentum.
The importance of IranConMin to the Iranian market was demonstrated at the opening of the fair, with top-level government representatives in attendance such as Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade, Mohammad Shariatmadari (Figure 1). There was particular interest in the mining sector, reflected in the fact that the mining conference was held at the same time: here, top-level experts spent two days discussing the opportunities and challenges facing the sector, the main focus here being on environmental issues. In Iran, the efficient and environment-friendly extraction of raw materials such as iron ore, copper and zinc is becoming increasingly important in order to reduce dependency on mineral oil and increase quality and security in work and life in general.
The special exhibition CET gave China a particularly outstanding role at IranConMin: together with Germany, the country is Iran’s leading foreign trading partner. There was a Chinese trade fair pavilion featuring some 40 exhibitors as well as joint stands for German and Italian companies.
After most of the economic sanctions imposed on Iran were lifted in January 2016, the trade show saw a 50 % increase in exhibitor figures. This positive trend kept up in 2017 since many foreign companies want to make the most of the opportunity to become established in the growth market of Iran. The country is in considerable need of modernization and there are large-scale construction and infrastructure projects in planning, while at the same time investment is possible again now that sanctions have been lifted.
The next IranConMin takes place from 5th to 8th November 2018 in Tehran. Further information: www.iranconmin.de. (IMAG/Si.)