The Construction Technology Institute, AIDICO, which belongs to the Network of Technology Institutes from the Region of Valencia (REDIT) and is driven by the Regional Department of Industry, Trade and Innovation, is organizing the 2010 Global Stone Congress. The Congress will start on the 2nd of March in Alicante and will last four days.

The Congress will bring together over 300 experts from Europe, America and Asia in order to put forward the main scientific and technological innovations, as well as analyzing the new market situation to detect the principle needs of the natural stone sector and thus move forward

The natural Stone sector is chiefly an exporter and is one of the few sectors in our country showing a positive trade balance over the last fifteen years. However, competition from emerging countries, the unstoppable fall in prices, and the slump in construction have led to a recession in the development of Spain’s natural stone industry.

To organize the congress, which is held in the Hotel Melía, in Alicante, AIDICO has collaborated with the four most important agents of marble producers worldwide: INTROMAC, the Natural Stone Theme Network, and the technology centres specializing in natural stone: Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara (IMMC) and Abirochas (Asociación Brasileña de las Rocas Ornamentales).

The experts are going to take advantage of the forum to put forward and to exchange opinions about new strategies the sector needs to adopt in order to cope successfully with the credit crisis. In this respect, during the conference, the speakers will particularly emphasise the need to apply new architectonic solutions, as well as new services and aid in using stone in buildings. Similarly, they will encourage the development of new extraction and processing technologies.

The aim of the organisations promoting this gathering is that all parties involved take stock of the fact that the marble sector can only continue to compete if it benefits from and develops its technological advantages. This requires a reorganization and transformation that will lead to a more competitive and sustainable business structure.