Although the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2010 seems like a long way away, there is much that needs to be done - and done quickly - in order to ensure that the country is ready to host a sporting event of this magnitude.
Recently appointed divisional director of Siemens Business Units for Industrial Solutions and Services (I&S) and Siemens Building Technologies (SBT) divisions, Hans Peter Haesslein says considering the length of the tender processes as well as the planning and construction phases of the new infrastructure or upgrade projects that will be needed, work on this needs to begin in the very near future.
"2010 looks set to create many opportunities for Siemens, especially in the areas of stadium construction and upgrades, building management systems, ITS (intelligent traffic systems) and CCTV for crowd control," says Haesslein. "Over the years we have been a partner to many event organisers - including soccer world cups and Olympic games that I have no doubt that we are ready for discussions now.
"Just in terms of the stadia alone, it takes around two years to complete one of these from the time construction begins. However, with Siemens as a global partner South Africa will be ready in time for the World Cup."
He adds that the Soccer World Cup will provide almost unprecedented opportunities for local businesses in the fields of building technology, event management, ticketing and security - all key components of the Siemens product and services portfolio.
"Other industries indirectly affected include telecommunications, power, healthcare and transportation, all of which are covered by the Siemens business portfolio," he says.
Haesslein says areas of expertise for Siemens specifically that could be useful for 2010 include building management systems for hotels and stadiums; infrastructure such as lighting and access control turnstiles; ITS (intelligent traffic systems), and CCTV for big event control, fire detection and prevention equipment; as well as communications for media centres.
"We have a strong market leadership in the industry and are well positioned with regard to engineering know-how, project management, products, solutions and services that make us a true end-to-end partner for projects of this scope," he concludes.
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