The forum will be held at NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard, one of the few Ukrainian enterprises to construct complete vessels. For the third consecutive year, the shipyard is the venue for the largest international exhibition for shipbuilding and water transport to be held in the last decade. The forum’s goals are to develop shipbuilding and ship repair, to introduce the latest technologies, to develop river transport and to attract investments.During the entire day, the shipyard’s territory will be an exhibition complex. About 100 participants from foreign and Ukrainian companies which are engaged in inland and international sea and river transportation, suppliers of navigation and ship equipment, simulation centers, ports and terminals, shipbuilding and ship repair yards, crewing companies as well as companies providing surveyor, insurance, consulting services, sectoral higher educational institutions and vocational technical educational institutions will participate in the Shipbuilding and Water Transport 2019 exhibition. 5,000 guests are expected to arrive. The company has officially invited national leaders, representatives from the deputy corps of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, diplomats from the EU countries, management of the world’s leading financial institutions (the EBRD, EIB, IFC, etc.), potential investors and scientists, specialists of the marine economy sector, as well as experts of the shipbuilding and other sectors.During the forum opening, there will be held a historical event in the Ukrainian shipbuilding. NIBULON will put into operation a 140-m NIBULON MAX river-sea class floating vessel with two cranes and a 13,400-m3 grain storage. It is the largest vessel constructed for the past 25 years of Ukraine’s independence and in the shipyard’s history. NIBULON’s shipbuilders officially keel-laid the vessel on May 23, 2018, with the participation of the national leaders, international community, and representatives of the leading financial institutions.According to specialists’ calculations, NIBULON MAX will enable the company to increase the annual cargo transshipment by fleet by 2-3 million tons per year and to increase transshipment volumes by NIBULON’s fleet up to 4-5 million tons per year. The floating crane is constructed with the financial support of the International Finance Corporation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the European Investment Bank. Due to work with these banks, there have been created conditions for the launching of the vessel, namely the large-scale reconstruction of the company’s shipyard was carried out.For several consecutive years, the shipyard has been increasing its production rate, modernizing and building new workshops, buying modern equipment. The shipyard’s management aims at entering the European market of complete vessels. Due to the updated capacities, the shipyard launches from 8 to 10 vessels per year and provides jobs to 700 highly qualified employees.Construction of this class vessel is an absolutely new and higher level of NIBULON’s shipbuilding facilities. For this purpose, the shipyard modernized a slipway as well as a launching and lifting gear, thereby increasing the number of launching ways. The company reconstructed and modernized the existing capacities. Upon its completion, the shipyard will be the most state-of-the-art facility in Ukraine and, without doubt, one of the best shipyards in Europe.The participants and guests of the forum will have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the production capacities at the shipyard and its production processes – from parts production to main hull formation. The guests will also observe the laying of new vessels, namely Т410 harbour tug designed for pushing and docking operations and non-self-propelled B1500 project open type vessel.Besides the successful implementation of the investment projects to revive shipbuilding sector and to build a network of transshipment terminals, NIBULON continues developing navigation on the Ukrainian inland waterways, redirecting more cargo flows to water, thereby reducing traffic load on the roads. As a result, according to the last year’s results, the 2018/19 marketing year became the most successful in the shipyard’s history. We achieved the goal set, having transported more than 3.5 million tons of various cargoes by inland waterways; thus, the company has increased transportation volumes by 40 %.NIBULON’s fleet is the most modern in Ukraine, built at Ukrainian shipyard from Ukrainian metal. The fleet flies the Ukrainian flag within Ukraine. The visitors will have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with NIBULON’s vessels of the entire fleet series, go aboard the vessels as well as to make a trip on board the high-speed NIBULON EXPRESS passenger vessels. An exciting water show and NIBULON’s fleet demonstration will be the most enchanting part during the event.As part of the forum, NIBULON arranges a round-table discussion on the topic of “The Development of Inland Water Transportation is a Way to Revive Ukrainian Shipbuilding (Practical Experience, Prospects and Problems of the Sector)”.  The leading Ukrainian and international sectoral specialists, government officials, representatives of embassies as well as international financial organizations, and others will participate in the round-table discussion.NIBULON thanks all the participants of the exhibition, their management, and employees. Due to them, it becomes possible to carry out this event in shipbuilding and navigation sectors.We want the Ukrainian fleet to be built on the Dnipro River, to make the Dnipro economically attractive. We are for the state patronage of Ukrainian shipbuilders and sailors.