GENEVA, April 02. /ITAR-TASS/. About 1,000 novelties will be put on display at the 42nd International show of innovations and invntions that opens here on Wednesday.
Jean-Luc Vincent, president of the world-famed show, told journalists ahead of the show that 790 exhibitors from 45 countries and five continents had brought their inventions, which became an absolute record for the exhibition which was first held in 1972.
"These figures prove that our show is the most important event in the field of inventions and demonstration of new products," Vincent said.
Inventors from China, Thailand, and Russia will be the most active exhibitors this year. The top ten by the number of novelties on view also includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, France, Poland, Romania, the Republic of Korea, and Germany. If the situation is viewed from regional angle, the largest number of display stands have been booked by companies from Asian and Middle East countries (54 percent), folllowed up by those from Europe (42 percent) and other countries (4 pct).
Traditionally, on an area of 8,500 square metres, at the PalExpo exhibition centre where the Geneva show is held, the predominance of products coming from research and manufacture centres of industrial companies and university research laboratories is observed. They account for 74 percent of inventions reaching Geneva.
Twenty-six percent of articles have been devised by independent inventors, with a strict observance of the Show's principle only those specimens are put on display which, for which authorship certificates have been obtained.
The main purpose of the exhibitors is not simply to show the products of their development efforts but atract potential buyers. They succeed in that. According to the Show's statistics, about 45 percent of inventions put on display at PalExpo generate businessmen's interest, with appropriate agreements being drawn up for them.
Most of inventions pertain to the following branches: medicine and health care, environmental protection, power engineering, electronics and computers, mechanics and industrial processes, conveyance techniques, construction, security, sports and leisure pursuits, agriculture and orcharding, furniture, home economics, hygiene, and toys.
Millions-worth elaborate products of development efforts are demonstrated side by side with "trivial" inventions whih take visitors' fancy. For example, it will be possible to see in Geneva traffic signs with photogalvanic elements which, upon being charge by sunlight in the daytime, shine at night; a linen steam-pressing system integrated into a mirror; a folding three-wheled electric scooter; and a suitcase that is easy to convey up the stairs and on irregular surfaces. Russian inventors will display about 50 projects by participating in most of exhibition categories.
The best novelties will be marked out by 54 awards, including a grand-prix for the best invention and a People's Choice Award. It is expected that about 60,000 people will be able to tour the exhibition which is to run till April 6.