The ILA Berlin air show’s International Suppliers Centre (ISC) has opened its doors for business, with the ‘fair within a fair’ proving to be more popular than ever.
This is the fifth ILA show at which the business-to-business (B2B) platform has appeared. It started as a means of giving small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) a rare opportunity to meet original equipment manufacturers and first-tier suppliers.
An online ISC website enables buyers and purchasers to set up meetings and strike up initial contacts.
“We’re expecting 75 representatives of OEMs and first-tier suppliers and, by today, we had arranged via the electronic platform, 1,103 B2B meetings,” says Franz Denk, the consultant behind the ISC.
Opening the ISC on 20 May, Brigitte Zypries, who is responsible for Germany’s aviation policy, said: “The German ‘Mittelstand’ story” – highly-specialised SMEs producing high-quality products – “also applies to the aerospace industry.” It has conducted some outstanding research in the sector, she added.
The ISC is only open for the three trade days at ILA, with a cruise on the River Spree on 21 May to provide further networking opportunities.
Source: Flight Daily News
