Navalia's organisers expect the show to grow to nearly 300 exhibitors this year and space has been filling rapidly in three pavilions of the Ifevi, Vigo's Fairground Institute. During the exhibition various parallel activities will take place, including technical workshops and conferences organised by the Official Naval Engineers Association, the Naval Cluster Association, and the Innovamar Foundations. Peripheral events include the official presentation of the Spanish Technological Platform for Fishing and Aquiculture.

Vigo is also a major shipbuilding centre and Navalia's exhibitor list includes Astillero Hijos de J. Barreras, Astilleros Armon, Astilleros de Huelva, Astilleros de Sevilla, Astilleros Gondan, and Astilleros M-Cies.

In Vigo itself, the seven shipyards of the Vigo Ria and Factoria Naval Marin is enjoying the busiest time in its history, with an order book for 78 ships to be built by 2012 with a cumulative value of €3,500m.

The Vigo shipyard Construcciones Navales P. Freire (CNPF) has landed a contract to build six tugs for Maersk Supply Service, a subsidiary of Denmark's Maersk - Moller. The €50m order will keep the galician shipyard at full capacity for at least two more years.

Alongside the many Spanish maritime companies populating Navalia, the exhibition's list of international representatives includes many names familiar to Maritime Journal readers, such as Cosalt, Detroit Diesel, Ecospeed, Hatlapa, John Deere, Jotun, Kort Propulsion, Schottel GmbH, and Voith Turbo.