Oceanology 2006 to ride the French technology wave

UBIFRANCE invites French companies to promote their know-how at an event which is internationally recognised in the field of maritime research. Around 45% of the visitors who attend the exhibition are company heads and the event attracts specialists in marine environment and oceanographic equipment. France enjoys a high level of expertise in this field, and UBIFRANCE will be seeking to ensure that this expertise reaches a wider audience. With the French pavilion, UBIFRANCE offers each French exhibitor the chance to achieve greater recognition through a coordinated action and to develop new business opportunities by sharing their experience with other companies present at the pavilion and at the exhibition.

The French pavilion can count on the participation of 20 exhibitors, including Sercel (a company specialising in marine acoustics and instrumentation), Schlumberger Vector (a manufacturer of electro-opto-mechanical cables), In Vivo Environment (scientific and technical experts in the marine, coastal and aquatic fields), Advanced Subsea (an engineering company specialising in deep-water surveys and metrology), Technicap (a developer of instrumentation apparatuses dedicated to oceanography and programmable sampling devices), Kley France (a manufacturer of deep-sea winches for offshore fields, naval engineering and oceanography), Martec Serpe IESM (a developer of beacons and oceanographic instruments), NKE (electrical engineers specialising in the marine sector), Aquageo (a service company and consultancy in marine environment and oceanography), the IFREMER research institute for the exploitation of the sea, the Brest-Iroise technology park and the TVT (Toulon Var Technologies) technology park (coordinator of the Marine Network and Submarine Network).

These two technology parks are the supporting structures for the ‘Brittany Marine Park’ and the ‘PACA Marine Park’, which were officially recognised on 12 July 2005 by the French Inter-ministerial Committee for Regional Development (CIADT). The Parks represent 4,800 researchers, 2,700 graduates, 50,000 jobs in 680 companies and 52 innovative projects, brought together to define a common strategy and to develop cooperative and complementary projects. These two competitiveness clusters figure alongside 15 other projects of a worldwide dimension selected by the French government as part of its strategy to promote and support industrial competitiveness, particularly R&D innovation.
Alongside TVT, the France pavilion will also include the companies Lapp Muller SAS (specialists in industrial and nuclear robotics and submarine activities), Cybernetix (robotics, advanced automatic systems, and offshore technologies), Thales Safare (submarine acoustic and communication engineering), Chrisar Software Technologies (signal processing, acoustics, and acquisition), Oceanide (coastal engineering), Globocean (engineering and technical surveys), as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Var département (in south-eastern France).

About UBIFRANCE

UBIFRANCE is the French Agency for International Business Development. UBIFRANCE, a French government agency, came into being in February 2004, as a result of the merger of the French Centre for External Commerce (CFCE) with the Ubifrance Association. As the partner of reference for French companies wishing to export, UBIFRANCE offers a complete range of services based on the provision of information about export markets, legal issues and regulations, international finance, and tenders, while also supplying sectorial data. Besides, UBIFRANCE offers export advice and targeted support to commercial activities such as exploratory visits, partnership meetings, foreign exhibitions, and international press communication. Finally, UBIFRANCE runs the International Voluntary Service in Business employment scheme (VIE) for deploying qualified personnel outside France.

To provide support for French companies of all sizes and from all sectors in their development in foreign markets, UBIFRANCE relies on the expertise of 2,500 staff in France (Paris and Marseilles) and in 120 different countries through the Trade Missions of the various French Embassies, clubs, associations and a network of press offices.

The French Technology Press Bureau (FTPB) is the London bureau of UBIFRANCE, whose network of 13 press offices around the world includes Bangkok (for South-East Asia), Beijing, Cairo (for the Middle East), Chicago (for North America), Düsseldorf, Hong Kong, Madrid, Mexico, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and Warsaw.

For further information, please go to: www.ubifrance.fr