The timing of next year’s CITE – Civil Infrastructure & Technology Exhibition 2016 coincides well with a strengthening focus by the UK government on the long-term development of the country’s national infrastructure. Taking place at ExCeL London in the capital’s Docklands from 12 to 14 April 2016, CITE will showcase the full range of systems, equipment and skills needed to create essential transport, energy and public utilities networks.
Earlier this month the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced the creation of a new independent National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) charged with offering unbiased analysis of the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs. The NIC has already begun work, led by Lord Andrew Adonis as its first chairman.
Initially the NIC is focusing on:
- A plan to transform the connectivity of cities in northern England, including high-speed rail (HS3).
- Priorities for future large-scale investment in London’s public transport infrastructure.
Its advice to the government will be published before next year’s Budget. The NIC will also begin work on a national infrastructure assessment, looking ahead to requirements for the next 30 years.
Ahead of this, the government’s National Infrastructure Pipeline report on planned investments published in July, identified future spending of £411 billion on 265 programmes and 299 projects. Around £245 billion will be invested in energy networks, with transport accounting for a further £127.4 billion. Water supply projects will absorb some £25 billion. Additional spending is planned by devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on their own networks.
The prospect of a clearer long-term approach to enhancing the UK’s national infrastructure is good news for companies planning to exhibit at CITE – and at the Infrarail railway technology exhibition which will take place alongside it at ExCeL London. Many of the products and services covered by CITE 2016 are equally applicable to rail, highways, utilities and communications networks.
Sectors represented by exhibitors will include civil engineering, construction services and products, plant and equipment, geotechnical, tunnelling, consultancy and project management, as well as IT products and services. Among rail-specific fields to be covered at Infrarail are track construction and maintenance, signalling and communications, electrification, and installations such as stations and maintenance depots, plus key areas such as recruitment and training, occupational health and security.
Kirsten Whitehouse, Exhibition Manager for both events, says: “Staging these two shows together offers many benefits for exhibitors and visitors. CITE fits ideally with the government’s recent initiatives to prioritise long-term investments in national infrastructure by providing a professional showcase for companies offering the civil engineering and construction equipment, products and skills needed to create and enhance these major vital networks. And Infrarail has a well established reputation for introducing the very latest in technology and services specifically for the rail infrastructure market.”
Both exhibitions will feature keynote speeches by leading figures, industry seminars, project briefings and discussion groups – all free to attend and aimed at providing valuable insights into trends in technology and policy.
For further press information on CITE 2016 and Infrarail 2016 contact:
Ken Harris
Tel: (+44) (0)1273 300 434
Email: ken.harris@mackbrooks.co.uk
For general enquiries contact:
Kirsten Whitehouse, Natalie Parker or Emma Preston
Tel: (+44) (0)1727 814 400
Fax: (+44) (0)1727 814 401
Email: cite@mackbrooks.co.uk or infrarail@mackbrooks.co.uk
