ASCER’s president, Vicente Nomdedeu Lluesma, presented the balance for 2023
The winners of the 22nd edition of the Tile of Spain Awards for Architecture and Interior Design also received their accolades
The press conference was attended by specialised media from twenty-two countries
ASCER, the Spanish Association of Ceramic Wall and Floor Tile Manufacturers, today held an international press conference organized in collaboration with ICEX Spain Trade and Investment.
ASCER’s president, Vicente Nomdedeu Lluesma, presented the provisional year-end close for 2023, a year marked by a generalised drop in market demand. The sector’s estimated turnover for 2023 is 4,864 million euros (-14.3%), 3,564 million of which correspond to 189 international markets. Domestic sales are estimated to stand at 1,300 million euros. Parallel to the drop in demand, 2023 saw a 21% fall in production to just under 400 million square metres.
Despite this negative trend, Spain continues to lead production in the European Union. As ASCER’s president stated, “Today, Europe only accounts for 8.4% of global production, compared with just ten years ago when we clearly led the sector. Our products compete on international markets under unequal terms in comparison with other producers who face less demanding labour or environmental requirements, to give just a couple of examples. It’s important to balance the game rules and to ensure that our customers demand that their non-EU suppliers comply strictly with the highest standards”.
Turning to the drop in sales, Nomdedeu explained, “Our sales are not immune to the global fall in demand, registering a 16.6% decrease in value and 22% in volume”.
By geographical area, Europe remains Tile of Spain’s natural market, with six European countries ranking among the top ten markets. “These are mature, demanding markets that appreciate the added value of Spanish ceramic tiles, yet which over the last year have been severely affected by inflation and the consequent slowdown in the construction market”, ASCER’s president explained. “If we consider the EU market plus Spain, which is our biggest customer market, 57% of the total sales are concentrated in the EU and it is therefore essential that we defend our position and lay down a series of ground rules that will enable us to compete under equal conditions”, Nomdedeu added.
During the press conference, ASCER’s president highlighted the Spanish ceramic tile manufacturing sector’s commitment to decarbonisation and innovation as a means of producing increasingly sustainable products, “Understanding sustainability as a concept that goes far beyond that related to natural resources or cutting gas emissions. We’re talking social sustainability, a commitment to the territory, the generation of knowledge and transfer of technology. In short, we’re referring to economic sustainability and contributing to the wellbeing of society as a whole”.
As for promotional activities, the emphasis was placed on the work carried out, in collaboration with the ICEX, on priority markets, centred on disseminating and promoting the value of Spanish ceramic tile products. Actions in this area included participation at trade shows, training seminars for contractors and distributors, as well as publications.
Lutzía Ortiz and Ana Benavente, from the Habitat Trends Observatory (OTH), on behalf of the Institute of Ceramic Technology – Ceramic Industry Research Association (ITC-AICE), took a look back at 40 years of design and trends in ceramic tiles, focusing in particular on the 4 major design lines that have set the trends for ceramic tile products in 2024 and the Spanish sector: Natural, Minimal, Cultural and LuxVersal. The Natural line includes ceramic tile products inspired by Mother Nature, transmitting the essence of the material with porous, uneven textures that reflect the inherent beauty of raw materials. Minimal is the evolution of the minimalist style towards calming, enveloping and comforting designs. The ceramic tile products feature soothing, timeless and neutral finished with a sensorial feel. As for the Cultural line, a sense of nostalgia creates ceramic tile products inspired by our history, tiles that mark a return to cultural traditions, transferring the designs of the past into a simpler, urban context. Last but not least, the LuxVersal range is made up of high-gloss, polished tiles with metal effects for creating sophisticated settings, sometimes with a futurist air.
The press conference was followed by the prize ceremony Tile of Spain Awards for Architecture and Interior Design, now in their twenty-second edition and firmly consolidated in both fields. The latest edition of the Tile of Spain Awards were sponsored by Endesa and PortValencia, and also received the support of the Generalitat Valenciana’s Regional Ministry of Finance
Access to data, trends and photos of the press conference: https://tileofspain.com/ferias-eventos/cevisama/
Details of the winning projects, images, reports and all other information is available at the Tile of Spain Awards website at www.premioceramica.com.
