One of the themes being promoted by the organisers of Bauma this year is the importance of the Latin America market and German connections with the region.
One of the many extra events being organised at Bauma 2001 is a Latin America symposium on April 3 with the title "Latin America – Working Together in the Building Sector". Topics will include the current situation facing the construction industry in Latin America, its privatisation projects, and examples of project financing and development prospects.
The German federal minister of transport, building and housing, Kurt Bodewig, has invited South American colleagues to a ministerial conference at Bauma. There will also be a ministerial tour of the exhibition as well as of construction sites and materials factories.
During the morning of the special symposium, representatives of Latin American countries will present current projects and the investment potential of their national construction industries, mainly over the period 2001-2005. During the afternoon, representatives of supplier companies will use examples to highlight the opportunities and difficulties of working together.
Finalising the event will be a presentation of current development programmes, and the public, private and international sources of finance available.
Dr Eduardo Jaramillo Robledo, chairman of the association of the Columbian construction industry, CEMACOL, explained: "I firmly believe that our construction industry must look beyond its own national borders in a bid to find solutions to our problems. We must endeavour to adopt an international approach to these issues and work together to get things off the ground."
Bauma organisers say that, according to industry experts, the national economies of Latin America will become more stable during 2001, even if this happens at varying rates and degrees. In the wake of the long overdue infrastructure projects, in virtually all regions, and stable economies particularly in Brazil and Mexico – all with positive knock-on effects for the entire continent – Latin America constitutes one of the largest growth markets of the future.
