The 12th
edition of SIFER, the French Exhibition dedicated to the international railway industry, will take place on 26-28 October in Lille.
From 26th to 28th
October 2021, the Lille Grand Palais will host SIFER, the French exhibition on the international railway industry, where contractors, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, subcontractors, operators and transport management authorities will meet to reflect on the changes occurred to the industry and discuss its future.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the economy worldwide, but SIFER aims to take the railway sector back on track with a new hybrid format that will offer attendees a platform to meet the exhibitors, exchange knowledge and conduct business with all major industry players both physically and digitally.
Moreover, the European Parliament appointed 2021 the ‘European Year of Rail’, aiming to promote greener and safer transports. So, during the trade fair, exhibitors will showcase more sustainable products and services designed to create transport systems which are more respectful of the environment, hoping to contribute to the EU’s objective to be climate-neutral by 2050.
“SIFER is THE meeting place for the railway industry in France, bringing together all players in the sector's ecosystem. After so long apart and without any face-to-face events, it will be a pleasure to share these three days with all key players of the industry, in a place that promotes spontaneous exchanges and new business encounters,” commented SNCF Réseau. “From a macroeconomic point of view: customers at the heart of new plans, the key role of ‘digital’, autonomous installations and equipment, the ‘connected agent’ and new connectivity systems, solutions respectful of the environment, those allowing to run more trains whilst maintaining safety levels, economic performance, and the safety of people and equipment.”
To ensure the safety of the participants, RX group and Mack-Brooks Exhibitions have developed the “Safety Shows” strategy that includes a five-point action plan to protect the health and safety of everyone at the exhibition: collaboration & engagement, risk management, planning, communication, and safeguarding measures.
“SIFER meets for 3 days in the 3 main halls of Lille Grand Palais. We are proud to have hosted this great event for almost 15 years. The teams at Lille Grand Palais have been working on hosting this great event for months. We will deploy the necessary sanitary arrangements to successfully host the event in October 2021. In June, we already tested our new protocol and the vaccine passport with great success,” stated Philippe Blond, CEO of Lille Grand Palais.
The railway industry in France is the third biggest industry in the world and generates 25% of the annual rail turnover. Although the pandemic has restricted travels, train attendance is on the rise again and the income generated by railway companies has reached its highest since 2015 for high-speed trains. In addition, the global growth for railway equipment (€ 183bn in 2017) should speed up between 2018 and 2022, especially for new equipment (+ 2.4% per year, compared to + 1.3% per year in 2017).