As champions in precision castings for steel and titanium for the naval defence sector, including delivering NATO’s largest titanium casting, Castingpar operates in an industry where the community is small, technology highly specialised, and decision-makers difficult to access. For them, UDT provided a rare opportunity to engage directly with this community. As titanium solutions become increasingly vital to modern naval platforms, suppliers with advanced capabilities must find the right stage to demonstrate their full product and potential.

When Castingpar decided to exhibit at UDT for the first time, they entered the event as a specialist in an already niche market. The question they sought to answer was clear: “How do we bring critical but lesser-known materials technology directly to submariners, naval engineers, and programme leaders who need it most?”

The answer: Undersea Defence Technology, a dedicated global forum that brings together the full ecosystem of undersea defence.

A Strategic Entry Point into a Niche Market

As a first-time exhibitor, Castingpar’s decision to join UDT was strategic, deliberate, and rooted in both value for money and an anticipated return on investment. Their goal was to help navies enhance reliability, extend service life, and reduce maintenance costs. UDT offered strong value for money by placing them directly in front of the people responsible for these priorities: those who design, operate, and maintain underwater systems.

Exhibiting at larger, more generalist defence events would have offered broad visibility but limited relevance. UDT, by contrast, offered a more curated, tightly knit gathering of professionals who live and breathe undersea technology. For Castingpar, that relevancy meant their message, centred on corrosion challenges and titanium’s long-term durability, would reach people who could act on it.

The aim was not just to raise brand awareness but to deliver the right message to the right audience: titanium castings offer long-term resistance to seawater corrosion, higher reliability, and lower lifetime ownership cost for submarines and underwater systems.

High-Value Dialogue and ROI Beyond Leads

Castingpar’s ability to offer rapid prototyping, specialised machinery, and flexible production capability meant they were especially eager for deeper conversations, and UDT delivered. They wanted direct engagement with submariners and operators familiar with the operational and lifecycle impact of corrosion. Rather than spending time establishing fundamentals, they could move straight into meaningful technical dialogue on material properties, durability, cost, and integration. This visibility is crucial for a company whose technology solves material challenges inside systems designed by others.

UDT’s networking environment – both on and off the exhibition floor - paired with the high calibre of naval delegations, created the ideal space to explore how titanium contributes to long-term fleet readiness. Across NATO, AUKUS, and allied fleets, the pressure to extend service life, reduce maintenance burdens, and increase platform resilience continues to rise. Castingpar’s solution speaks directly to these demands, and UDT provided the technical setting needed to explore this alignment.

Among the many discussions Castingpar held at UDT, one stood out. After presenting their solutions to a group of submariners, one of them said: “Your titanium castings address the corrosion challenges we face every day, but we didn’t know this solution existed. We’re going to enquire about using titanium castings for seawater systems.”

For a first-time exhibitor like Castingpar, this moment captured the unique value of UDT: a focused, knowledgeable audience capable of immediately recognising operational relevance. This kind of real-time feedback validates capability, shapes product direction, and can open doors to programmes that would otherwise remain inaccessible.

Real Impact with Strategic Depth

Castingpar’s experience reflected the true essence of UDT’s brand: networking, innovation, and technical excellence. In the undersea defence community, where challenges are complex and systems interdependent, these principles are essential rather than optional.

It was noted in a recent conversation that Castingpar’s first year at UDT resulted in ‘successful contacts that led to requests for quotations’, a clear indication of commercial ROI. However, the team also noted that the strategic insights gained through valuable conversations were equally valuable. Understanding emerging corrosion challenges, future fleet requirements, and integration constraints will directly support their long-term development roadmap.

The combination of RFQs, technical dialogue, operator feedback, and increased visibility demonstrated that even highly specialised suppliers can make significant impact when placed in front of the right audience. Their debut showcased how UDT supports relationship-building, expertise sharing, and meaningful collaboration across the underwater sector.

Based on their own experience, Castingpar offers clear advice for organisations considering UDT: the event demands technical specificity.

“Don’t try to deliver a sales speech to every visitor,” the team explained. Instead, “focus on understanding their pain points and be very clear about the value you bring.” At UDT, where visitors arrive with complex operational challenges, this approach resonates far more strongly than generic marketing messages. For Castingpar, that meant highlighting their proven strengths in corrosion resistance, reliability, and lifetime cost, and demonstrating how titanium can solve persistent problems in seawater systems.

Their story demonstrates the unique strengths of UDT as a global undersea defence forum, a place where innovation is recognised, challenges are explored collaboratively, and solutions like Castingpar’s titanium castings can influence the future of naval capability.