Advanced Microturbines: How EIC trade fair support opened Gulf pilots and COP28 recognition
- ›Advanced Microturbines used EIC Overseas Trade Fairs support to access contacts in the Gulf and set up pilot tests after exhibiting at Middle East Energy 2023.
- ›The company strengthened relations with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE and subsequently won a COP28 Energy Transition Changemaker Award.
- ›Emanuele Guglielmino, CEO, says targeted trade fairs, clear demo material and fast follow up were decisive for converting visitors into business opportunities.
- ›The firm now weighs establishing a local presence to serve gas and water infrastructure markets in the Emirates and the wider Gulf region.
- ›The EIC International Trade Fairs Programme helps EIC-backed SMEs attend strategic global fairs but awards and visibility do not remove the need for pilots, local compliance and commercial validation.
Advanced Microturbines: EIC support unlocked Gulf contacts, pilots and COP28 recognition
Advanced Microturbines, an Italian deep tech firm developing energy harvesting microturbines coupled to smart IoT solutions, reports tangible business benefits after taking part in Middle East Energy 2023 through the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs 2.0 programme. The company says the trade fair led to a regional engineering partner, pilot test opportunities, stronger ties with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE and, later, an award at COP28 that increased inbound interest from companies and institutions in the Gulf.
What happened at Middle East Energy 2023
At Middle East Energy the Advanced Microturbines team met a potential business and engineering partner who helped open conversations with prospects across the region. Those early contacts were described as instrumental in setting up pilot tests. The company also reports deeper engagement with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE after a recommendation by the EIC OTF preparatory team. Following the fair and the contacts made there, Advanced Microturbines applied to a business competition organised by COP28 in Dubai and was selected as one of 39 Energy Transition Changemaker companies worldwide. The COP28 Presidency Award provided visibility and resulted in multiple contacts offering commercial collaboration and even proposals to open a local office.
How the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs programme helped
Advanced Microturbines credits the OTF 2.0 programme with facilitating first contact with the UAE and broader Gulf region. The company says in-person engagement at the fair made introductions that would have been difficult to achieve remotely. That initial market entry has prompted the company to evaluate different routes to establish a local presence and test which customer segments to prioritise. The CEO highlighted the gas industry and the water industry as high potential segments because of the Gulf's extensive gas infrastructure and water treatment and desalination needs.
What Advanced Microturbines does and why pilots matter
Founded in 2013, Advanced Microturbines designs and manufactures microturbines intended for energy harvesting in gas and water pipelines and for asset monitoring. The company couples small turbomachinery with IoT systems to detect leaks, extend asset life, reduce maintenance and cut CO2 emissions. The company describes pilots as the accepted route to local adoption for high tech products in conservative infrastructure sectors. A successful pilot provides operational validation and a reference customer that can lead to larger procurement volumes.
Advice for tradeshows from the CEO and pragmatic additions
Emanuele Guglielmino, CEO, shared practical tips for making the most of crowded and noisy trade fair environments. He advises preparing short, attention grabbing videos and clear slide decks to pitch quickly to passersby. He recommends tailoring the pitch length to the visitor and following up promptly by email or LinkedIn. He also stresses the importance of a memorable punchline, having something to physically demonstrate and carrying printed materials to hedge against overloaded show internet.
| Milestone | Event or date | Reported impact |
| Participation in Middle East Energy | MEE 2023 via EIC OTF 2.0 | Introduced to potential engineering partner and prospects, instrumental in initiating pilot tests |
| Strengthened Chamber of Commerce relations | Post-preparatory workshop recommendation | Improved business relationship with Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE |
| COP28 recognition | COP28 Energy Transition Changemaker Award | Selected among 39 companies, increased inbound interest and offers for local presence |
Ambitions, caveats and the commercial path ahead
Advanced Microturbines aims to acquire customers in the Gulf and establish a local presence to support growth. The company expects traction to begin with pilots at reputable local companies and then scale to larger volumes once the technology is validated. That is a standard path for deep tech hardware. Market entry in the Gulf also requires attention to local procurement rules, certification and aftersales logistics. Awards and fair contacts help create introductions and credibility but they do not replace the operational work needed to convert pilots into ongoing revenue.
About Advanced Microturbines and about Middle East Energy
Advanced Microturbines was founded in 2013 and focuses on microturbine design and production for energy harvesting integrated with IoT. The company positions its products as tools for smarter gas and water pipeline management that can reduce CO2 emissions, decrease leakage and extend asset life. Middle East Energy is positioned as an influential MENA energy event that brings together buyers and sellers to explore energy products and solutions. Its previous edition hosted more than 20,000 visitors and 800 exhibitors from around 170 countries, making it a high visibility platform for launches and networking.
A balanced takeaway for EU deep tech companies
The Advanced Microturbines story illustrates how curated EIC trade fair support can help European deep tech companies access hard to reach markets. The concrete results are contacts, pilot opportunities and a high profile award. At the same time the account highlights familiar caveats. Building a durable presence in the Gulf will require local validation, compliance with standards, aftersales arrangements and patient commercial follow through. Trade fairs and awards accelerate introductions and credibility. They do not eliminate the long lead times and operational complexity required to turn pilots into recurring business.