The Biennale expresses its satisfaction after the “success” of the 2022 edition, which will conclude with 35,000 visits

The 31st BIEMH-International Machine Tool Biennale closes its doors this Friday with a balance of 35,000 visitors7,000 less than the last edition held prior to the pandemic in 2018. The organizers have expressed their “satisfaction” as the event has been “a success” and has worked “well” within a “good fair”.

To take stock of this first biennale after the pandemic, BEC General Director Xabier Basañez appeared together with AFM Clúster President José Pérez Berdud AFM Clúster General Manager Xabier Ortueta AIMHE President , José Ignacio Ortiz de Urbinaga, and the BIEMH event manager, Thais Basañez-Allende.

In his maiden speech, Basañez called for the general satisfaction of organizers as well as exhibitors and visitors with the development of this edition, in which 1436 exhibiting companies from 28 countries took part.

Basañez has emphasized the “quality” of the products on display and the importance of both institutional and professional visits and has brought forward the dates of the next event, which will take place from 3 to 7 June 2024.

This week they showed more than 3400 machines, products, services and novelties to the estimated 35,000 visitors, from 51 countries, of whom 45% from outside the Basque Country.

The countries with the most visitors were, in this order, Germany, Argentina, France, Italy and Portugal. With regard to the roles of the professionals who participated, Basañez emphasized that for the most part, these were directors and managers, owners, heads of departments and technicians.

Potential and capacity

Both the head of BEC and that of the machine tool organizing associations, AFM and AIHME, agree that the fair has served to “demonstrate the capacity and industrial potential of the Basque Country”.

The President of the AFM, José Pérez Berdud, has spoken out in similar terms, stating that, from all perspectives, occupation, visitors, commercial contacts and business opportunities, the industrial fair, as expected, is “one of the best in its history been .

Xabier Ortueta, for its part, has disclosed the main conclusions of the survey conducted among 90 companies attending the fair on their opinion on this edition.

In that sense, the overall rating is similar to 2018, with a 7.6 overall and a 7.9 for the technological level of the products on display.

The fair has brought together 1,446 exhibiting companies from 28 countries such as Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, South Korea, USA, Finland, France, India, Italy, Japan, Portugal, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Taiwan or Turkey , among others.