At a roundtable debate held as part of the “Time of Spain” initiative, provisional data for the year ending 2025 was presented, together with future promotional and decarbonization strategies
Taking part in the debate were the Chairman of ASCER, Ismael García Peris, ICEX’s Director General for International Trade, Pablo Conde, and the Vice-Chairman of ASCER and the ITC, Miguel Nicolás
The sector’s situation stabilized in 2025, with positive indicators all round
At a roundtable debate, held today as part of the “Time of Spain” initiative, ASCER presented its provisional end-of-year review for 2025. The international press conference was attended by almost one hundred people, including a large number of international press representatives, with 50 journalists from 15 different countries on a press visit organized with the support of ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones.
Participating in the debate were Ismael García Peris, the Chairman of ASCER, Pablo Conde, ICEX’s Director General for International Trade, and Miguel Nicolás, the Vice-Chairman of ASCER and the Institute for Ceramic Technology, who presented their viewpoints on the sector’s main challenges and opportunities. At the event, the prize-giving ceremony of the 24th Tile of Spain Awards was also held, organized yearly by ASCER.
During the roundtable debate, an analysis was made of the current state of the Spanish tile industry, highlighting its resilience as a sector with a strong emphasis on exports in such a complex economic scenario. According to the provisional end-of-year statistics for 2025, based on estimated data, it had a turnover of 4,834 million euros (+1%), with exports worth 3,484 million euros (+0.2%) and domestic sales totalling 1,350 million euros (+3.1%)[1]. Production rose by 2.7% to a figure of 427 million m2 according to data by the Institute for Industrial Productivity, and employment also rose by 1.4% with an estimated 15,939 direct jobs. Ismael García Peris, ASCER’s chairman, extolled the sector’s capacity to adapt to market changes and maintain its industrial share, thanks to the quality of its tile products, its innovative potential, and the prestige associated with brands made in Spain or in the EU.
In this context, the “Time of Spain” initiative is an opportunity to get across what it is that sets Spanish tiles apart, drawing attention not just to the Spanish tile sector’s products but also to its origins, industrial legacies, and the people and places around which it revolves. It was also noted that this is the first promotional event for the sector to be organized in Spain with practically the unanimous support of all its companies, and their wide-scale participation demonstrated the industry’s commitment to this common project.
The participants coincided in highlighting internationalization as one of the sector’s main cornerstones, since exports account for 72% of its total turnover. The key role of Tile of Spain’s promotional activities and collaborations between ASCER and ICEX was emphasized in consolidating the sector’s presence in strategic markets and maintaining its capacity to compete. Pablo Conde, ICEX’s Director General for International Trade, stressed that tile companies must continue to opt for sales channels that give priority to quality, service and innovation as distinguishing features over prices. This strategic approach is all important in differentiating the sector’s companies from rival manufacturers in other countries, allowing the sector to consolidate its long-term leadership. In this regard, tile companies’ commitment to the contract market, which the sector has made a concerted bid to cultivate, is reflected by initiatives like “Time of Spain”: a platform that highlights the Spanish tile sector’s capacity to offer the international market all-round tile solutions with high added value.
As for sustainability, Vice-Chairman Miguel Nicolás emphasized the sector’s genuine bid to work toward decarbonization and the energy transition through heavy investment into electrification and renewable energies. Nicolás pointed out that sustainability is an added value in Tile of Spain products, noting that “ours are the most sustainable tiles in the world.” However, he warned that the road to full decarbonization is currently conditioned by two structural constraints: shortcomings in the technological maturity of some industrial solutions and an insufficient network capacity, particularly in the province of Castellón. For this reason, he insisted on the need to align the European regulatory framework with the real availability of technology and infrastructures so as to guarantee a sustainable, competitive transition.
“Time of Spain” is a promotional initiative by ASCER. During the months of February and March, it will be on the business agenda of some 70 Spanish tile manufacturers, with the inclusion of individual activities by companies. “Time of Spain”, which is conceived to act as a big international showcase for the sector, seeks to strengthen Spanish tiles’ position in international markets, while also facilitating direct contact with international materials specifiers and buyers, and promoting a better awareness of the strengths of this unique sector, conspicuous for its innovations, design appeal, sustainability, and tradition. This joint initiative demonstrates the sector’s capacity to act in a coordinated way and to consolidate its international leadership.
For full information about the initiative, see https://www.timeofspain.com/
For photos of the events, new products by the tile companies, graphs and other information, see the Time of Spain press dossier
[1] The data for domestic sales was taken from the survey on the current situation of the sector, conducted internally by ASCER with its member companies, with a representativity of 75%. Based on this recently conducted survey, the domestic sales figure for 2025 was estimated and domestic sales for 2024 were revised downwards. The revised figures for 2024 are domestic sales worth 1,310 million euros and total sales worth 4,788 million euros.
