The international event of reference for industrial valves and flow control solutions continues to grow, attracting the whole supply chain to Bergamo in a month’s time. The exhibition programme increases, offering a private preview opening. A new record number of exhibitors is expected with over 310 registrations, thanks to a parterre of fast-growing foreign companies, now accounting for 20% of the total The 2024 update of the IVS-Prometeia Observatory “The Oil&Gas Valve Industry in Italy” has been launched.

The event, promoted by Confindustria Bergamo and Promoberg, will take place in Bergamo from May 14 to 16, 2024. The session will kick off on the morning of May 14 with the early opening of the pavilions reserved for exhibitors, a novelty introduced to generate a valuable networking opportunity for the protagonists of IVS 2024. Highlight of the day is the opening conference of the Summit, where the event will be officially kicked off and where institutions, guests of honour, decision-makers and high-profile experts will take the floor. In the afternoon, the extensive IVS scientific programme will start. A space that has proven over the years to be an agora where change can be interpreted and the latest technological innovations can be explored, identifying, and analysing the challenges of the sector. To support the development of the scientific calendar, the Summit organisers have created two additional conference rooms in Hall C.

IVS 2024 includes 52 sessions including conferences, round tables, workshops, case studies and laboratories, providing a plan that is more than 50% greater than the 34 in-depth technical events of IVS 2022. On May 15 and 16, the trade fair will go live and the halls will open their doors to the international valve community. Following the two-day exhibition, there will be a further opportunity for foreign delegations attending the fair to meet the players in the extended oil and gas supply chain on Friday May 17. The organisers have fuelled qualitative growth for the 2024 edition, increased the number of scheduled appointments in the trade fair programme and enriched the side events, taking the Industrial Valve Summit from a two-day exhibition to a full-fledged valve week.

The fifth edition of the event takes place two years after IVS 2022 and continues on the path of growth that has marked it since the first edition. The Summit organisers are predicting record numbers for IVS 2024, starting with the companies taking part in the exhibition. There will be more than 310 exhibitors, of which the international component is growing strongly, with more than 20% foreign companies. The number of visitors is also expected to grow, with more and more countries expected to arrive in Bergamo, representing all continents. Despite the travel restrictions in force in some areas of the world and the delicate global scenarios, IVS 2022 welcomed 12,000 visitors (+12% compared to 2019) from more than 60 countries. IVS hosted almost 300 exhibiting companies (+17% on 2019), from 12 countries: Italy, Germany, Great Britain, the United States of America, France, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, Turkey and the Czech Republic. These numbers tell how IVS has established itself as an essential showcase for the entire supply chain connected to industrial valves and flow control. The synergies with ICE (the Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of Italian companies), AVR ANIMA (the industrial trade association representing Italian companies in the valves and fittings sector) provide a great stimulus for the increase in high-level international presence, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo (the Confindustria international office that supports Italian companies in their growth path in Africa and the Middle East) and SACE (the insurance-financial group directly controlled by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, specialised in supporting companies and the national economic fabric).

The partnerships will bring international delegations comprising institutional representatives, entrepreneurs, decision makers, speakers and specialised operators to the fair. The organisers have invited over 100 qualified end-user buyers of primary standing and international EPCs. A distinguished parterre that can interface with operators from the entire energy sector, giving rise to moments of exchange and discussion. In addition, through an operational collaboration with UNIDO ITPO Italy (the Italian Office for the Promotion of Technology and Investment of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation), IVS confirms the participation of a delegation of entrepreneurs and representatives of Iraqi institutions. IVS-Prometeia Observatory “The Oil&Gas Valve Industry in Italy” 2024 The 2024 update of the IVS-Prometeia Observatory “The Oil&Gas Valve Industry in Italy”, carried out with the support of the Confindustria Bergamo Studies Office, was also presented. The new report gives a clear picture of the state of the Italian industrial valve sector, which confirms its excellence in the European competitive context. In 2022, almost 4 out of every 10 valves for Oil & Gas produced in Europe were made in Italy, where the sector’s production value was close to 3.0 billion. The 2022 turnover of the domestic industry was up 12% compared to 2021 but has not yet regained pre-pandemic levels. Italy retains the leadership of the EU sector ranking, more than 8 points ahead of Germany and more than 30 points ahead of the third placed country (France). The numbers are achieved within an ecosystem of 139 companies (over 90% of turnover is generated within a radius of 100 km from the province of Bergamo), with over 10,000 employees (up from 9,300 in 2021). Exports of Italian valves for the Oil&Gas industry started to grow again at a steady pace in 2023 (+5.7% in value over 2022), proving a growth rate higher than the evolution of international trade. The rebound in exports was driven by the Middle Eastern (accounting for almost 19% of total Italian exports) and Asian markets. Sales in Western Europe and, above all, Eastern Europe, slowed down by the after-effects of the sanctions against Russia, performed less well. Investments by companies operating in the energy sector also grew, with increases in upstream, downstream and transport services. A positive trend that, along with the development of ‘green’ investments, offers positive effects that may also continue beyond 2023. There are opportunities for growth in both traditional and renewable and innovative sectors, such as Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and hydrogen. There are however elements of uncertainty, linked both to geo-political factors and to the timing and methods of the energy transition, which make strategic (even short-term) business choices more complex.

Giovanna Ricuperati, President of Confindustria Bergamo, commented:

«Actions to support production chains are of strategic importance for our Association. In this context, IVS – Industrial Valve Summit confirms its role as a driving force also in this edition, a winning example of how it is possible to act in synergy to enhance the industrial valve sector of excellence. This is an event that, on the one hand, is expanding its international profile, as is also shown by the increase in the number of delegations attending, and, on the other, is consolidating its scientific value, with over 50 sessions scheduled including round tables, talks and company presentations. At the same time, the focus is on consolidating ties with the territory, as also demonstrated by the two initiatives aimed at young people in the IVS Young programme».

Giuseppe Patelli, President of Promoberg:

«IVS is the flagship in the path of internationalisation of Fiera di Bergamo, with hundreds of companies and over 12 thousand high-profile operators from all over the world. We are honoured to play our part in supporting the economy and promotion of Bergamo, including tourism and culture. We have increased the number of days, up to three from the traditional two, with the first day dedicated exclusively to exhibitors, to discuss the hot topics of the sector and the trade fair in which they are the main players. Today the exhibition centre is a great added value, at the centre of one of the world’s most important macro-regions and a nerve centre for mobility, thanks also to the BGY international airport that connects Bergamo with the whole of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. And as for ‘tomorrow’ we welcome the announcement by the owners on the doubling of the exhibition centre that will allow us to further develop the growth of the summit».

Francesco Apuzzo, President of Valve Campus:

«The goal of the IVS Scientific Committee has always been the provision of high-level content for the industry professionals and visitors attending. This year, we will introduce a series of themed sessions and interactive workshops covering the latest industry trends and challenges, from energy efficiency and decarbonisation solutions to new standards and business process digitisation. Among the novelties of this edition, there will be a special focus on the importance of sustainability and the introduction of artificial intelligence to underpin the future of the industry.»

The programme includes international keynote speakers, case studies and panel discussions, as well as the presentation of more than 40 papers by authors from every continent.