The EU ceramic industry is a world leader in producing value added, uniquely designed high quality ceramic products manufactured by flexible and innovative companies, mainly SMEs. The ceramics industry represents an annual production value of around €30 billion, accounting for approximately 25% of the global production, and over 200,000 direct jobs throughout the EU.
The major producing countries in the EU are Italy, Spain, Germanyand France. Production in the new Member States of the EU appears to be strongest in the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, which all have strong ceramics sectors and have traditionally exported to other EU countries. The EU ceramic industry is export-oriented, with 30% of production sold outside the EU market.
The UK is home to hundreds of ceramics manufacturers, collectively employing over 22,000 people. During the global recession in the late 1990s, the industry declined but the UK is now experiencing a ‘renaissance’ and the economic contribution of the ceramic’s industry has increased by 44% over the past ten years.
Messe München International organise two trade fairs for this sector, ceramitec in Munich and Indian Ceramics in Ahmedabad. Both events showcase materials, machinery, supplies and technology specifically for the ceramics industry.
