In Münster with GCF for the 29th IAF

Experience and Innovation on the World Stage

“Track to the Future” is the slogan, Münster the host city, and Messe und Congress Centrum Halle Münsterland the venue. Everything is ready for the 29th edition of the International Exhibition for Track Technology (IAF), an event at which GCF – Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie – will once again be present, as usual.

“For the GCF Group,” emphasizes Giuseppe Brecciaroli, Executive Director of Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie, “the Münster Fair is now an established event. It's an opportunity to tell our story, showcase our experience, present the technical and operational solutions we've developed in the fields of railway works, and to highlight the technologies and results achieved in rail innovation and safety.”

Sponsored by the German Ministry of Transport and organized by the Association of German Railway Engineers (VDEI), the fair – held every four years – has established itself as the world’s largest showcase of railway infrastructure.

The exhibition area, set up for the seventh time in Münster, is impressive: three halls with 15,000 square meters of covered space dedicated to stands, conference rooms, and meeting areas; over 6,000 square meters of outdoor area reserved for railway machines, equipment, materials, and devices. Additionally, more than 3 km of track will host the most recent – innovative and large-scale – construction and renewal trains produced by leading international companies in the sector.

A "full-scale" exhibition, as organizers like to call it, highlighting the rare opportunity to see the spectacular machinery and equipment used in railway construction in action, and to discover in one single location all the latest innovations in machines, tools, components, technologies, and services for the railway industry.

The fair’s program is intense, offering live technical demonstrations, guided tours and events, seminars and workshops focusing on innovation, digitalization, automation, and sustainable solutions for the railway sector.
Special attention will be given to young people, through tours dedicated to students, trainees, and young railway engineers to meet selected industry players, and most notably, the “VDEI Award” initiative – a prize for outstanding thesis work by young railway engineers, who will have the opportunity to present their work in the fair’s auditorium.

“With the slogan ‘Track to the Future’,” explains Prof. Birgit Milius, President of VDEI, “we are focusing on integrating mechanical technology with digital solutions to further increase efficiency and sustainability in track construction.”

Organizers expect over 200 exhibitors from around the world and more than 15,000 industry professionals: a unique opportunity for decision-makers to meet the best in the railway sector, and for companies to gain international exposure, share technical knowledge, attract new clients, and strengthen their business networks.

In this international context, GCF S.p.A. (Stand S310-313) presents itself as an Italian excellence with impressive figures: 10 offices in Italy, 9 abroad, 2,300 specialized employees, a fleet of over 1,000 high-performance machines, over €683 million in consolidated revenues, and a work portfolio approaching €2 billion. In recent years, a strong acquisition strategy has strengthened the GCF Group’s presence overseas and consolidated its position in Italy, both in traditional sectors like electrification and in new areas such as high-voltage energy transport infrastructure and civil engineering.

Additional strengths include notable achievements in the innovative field of predictive diagnostics through the NeuRAIL framework developed by the Research & Development Division to meet the need for continuous and remote monitoring of railway assets, and the success of the “Level Crossing Protection” system – GCF’s proprietary radar-based PAI-PL system for automatic control of level crossings equipped with full barriers.

“Investment in research and development and our ability to innovate and deliver services with high standards of quality and safety,” concludes Giuseppe Brecciaroli, “are our best business card: they allow us to position ourselves as excellent and reliable partners, combining experience and innovation not only at trade fairs but, above all, in participating in international competitions, such as the recent award in Morocco for a total value of about 200 million euros, of two important lots related to the extension of the High Speed from Kenitra to Marrakech and the simultaneous intervention project for the modernisation of existing conventional lines.”

iaf 2022 Highlights

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