GWENT's high-flying contribution to the aerospace industry will be highlighted at one of the world's most important aviation events when it comes to Wales next year.

MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) Europe 2003 will provide an opportunity for Welsh organisations in the aerospace sector to demonstrate their capabilities to companies from all over the world.

Welsh-based companies and organisations which have also already confirmed their participation include Nordam Europe, which has a aircraft maintenance base in Blackwood.

Other Gwent companies intimately associated with the aircraft industry include British Airways Interior Engineering, which refurbishes seats and other passenger aircraft components, also at Blackwood; Britax at Cwmbran; and British Aerospace Defence (Royal Ordnance division) at Glascoed, near Usk.

The MRO Conference and Exhibition will be staged at the Cardiff International Arena, next September.

This follows success for Wales at this year's MRO Europe event in Hamburg, where a record 50% of the floor space for the 2003 Cardiff exhibition was sold in just one-and-a-half days.

The Welsh Development Agency, which was instrumental in securing MRO Europe 2003 for Wales, sent a delegation to Hamburg to raise the profile of Wales as a centre of excellence for aerospace.

Confirmed exhibitors and participants for Cardiff already include Airbus, Air Canada, Boeing, Rolls Royce, Delta, Air France, Lufthansa Technik, Finnair and SAS Airliance.

Paul Jones, the WDA's aerospace sector marketing manager, said preparations for the staging of MRO Europe in Wales in 2003 got off to such a good start in Hamburg.

"There is no doubt that the last two years of proactively marketing Wales as host venue has helped to lift the international profile of the aerospace sector in Wales, as well as contributing to the phenomenal success achieved in Hamburg," he said.

"Over 100 aerospace companies are currently located in Wales, employing more than 20,000, and this event will enable us to demonstrate to the world's major aerospace companies that Wales is home to a dynamic cluster of skilled and innovative small and medium-size businesses and multi-nationals."

The WDA is considering plans to develop an aerospace centre of excellence at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, which is already home to the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA), the MRO specialist for UK military aircraft. Barry College already specialises in aerospace training courses.

Kenneth E. Gazzola, executive vice-president of publisher McGraw-Hill's Aviation Week Group, which stages MRO conferences around the world, said: "Wales is already an impressive centre of aviation MRO and aerospace activity. We are anticipating an extraordinary event in 2003."