A group of 36 highly talented engineers is burning midnight oil in Calcutta to provide critical security inputs at the Beijing Olympics. A city-based software firm has developed a customised solution for the US Supreme Court, while another handles United Airlines traffic.

Local initiatives like these can find a global audience next week. Even as the state goes to polls, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee?s push for Brand Bengal is set for a boost in Germany, at the Hannover Messe 2006 (April 24-28), which will showcase innovative end-to-end solutions for all sectors of industry with India as the partner country.

Close on the heels of the CeBIT show, where the state had a presence for the second year in a row, West Bengal is sending a delegation to the world?s largest technology event for industry, after a lengthy hiatus. Led by principal secretary, industry and commerce, Sabyasachi Sen, the state team will focus on ?projecting opportunities in Bengal and changing perception?.

India, as partner country, will arrive at Hannover as ?a thriving, future-focused nation? with one of the world?s largest sales markets. Current estimates predict more than 300 million consumers with a disposable income will be living in the country by 2010. Bengal will lead the eastern charge alongside Jharkhand and Orissa, sharing space in the 10,000-sq m India pavilion. The Indian participation is being handled by the Engineering Export Promotion Council and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC).

The fair will feature nine simultaneous trade shows ? Interkama (for process automation), factory automation, industrial building automation, energy, pipeline technology, subcontracting, digital factory, industrial facility management & services and micro-technology ? besides market research & technology.

Team Bengal will also present facts and figures at chambers of commerce in Hannover, Munich and Frankfurt. ?This is extremely significant and can help divert future trade delegations to Calcutta. This year has seen a great kick-off with the Niedersachsen delegation and the Bengal rerun at CeBIT. Hannover can only carry the good word further,? observes IGCC Calcutta regional director B.G. Roy.

Roy feels subcontracting is an area where Sen and his squad can make definitive inroads. ?It gives us a chance to showcase our strengths like casting, automotive components, forging and an abundant resource pool of skilled manpower in various other sectors,? he stresses.

It is learnt that like in CeBIT, the Brand Bengal presentation wouldn?t just harp on low costs since worldwide, that often fuels a perception of poor quality. Instead, the thrust would be skill sets fostered by an evolved education system and the new flexibility of the government that is ushering in the likes of Metro Cash & Carry.