Europe’s rainscreen cladding market is preparing for a more stable ascent after years of uneven performance across construction sectors. In 2025, total demand across key European countries is expected to reach 52.4 million m², up by +2.7%, and a market value of €2.87 billion, marking a continuation of the gradual recovery observed since 2023. By 2028, the market is forecast to expand to €3.32 billion, supported primarily by refurbishment activities and performance-driven material innovation, and a CAGR of +3.2% in quantities sold. These findings come from the latest IC Market Tracking: Rainscreen Cladding in Europe by Interconnection Consulting, which examines developments across Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Still, the market’s 2025 landscape is anything but uniform. The three largest markets—the UK (+2.1%), Germany (-2.0%), and France (+1.4%)—collectively represent 51.5% of total demand, underscoring their dominant role in shaping regional dynamics despite their diverging growth trajectories. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Austria (-6.8%), the Czech Republic (+1.9%), and Slovakia (-1.1%)—the smallest markets in the sample, together representing just 2.8% of total demand—illustrate a widening performance gap. Austria faces a sharp contraction as investment conditions weaken, the Czech Republic manages modest growth supported by selective renovation activity, and Slovakia remains in mild decline. “The recovery is real, but its pulse is irregular,” notes Juan Carraha, Market Analyst at Interconnection Consulting. “Manufacturers must navigate diverging regional dynamics—where Southern European countries revive through renovation incentives; parts of Central Europe remain anchored in weak new-build activity.” Material preferences also continue to define competitive strategy. Aluminum cladding leads with 24.4% of volume share, maintaining its appeal for durability and architectural flexibility. Fibre cement accounts for 17.3%, followed by high-pressure laminates (14.6%) and steel/metal solutions (14.5%). Notably, steel and metal cladding record a +4.2% CAGR in value between 2025 and 2028, propelled by performance upgrades in non-residential renovations. Wood, ceramic systems, stone, vinyl, and niche materials collectively represent a diverse long-tail segment. Panel size trends reinforce the market’s gravitation toward larger façade components: 56.1% of installations exceed 0.4 m², as architects and contractors increasingly prioritize faster installation and uniform visual appearance. On the demand side, the market is decisively shaped by the non-residential sector, which represents 63.2% of total volume in 2025. New construction dominates this segment (69.7%), especially in commercial, office, and industrial applications. However, in the residential market—where renovation and new building are nearly evenly split—retrofit activity is gaining traction, supported by energy-efficiency incentives and the growing need to modernize aging building envelopes. In total, the 2025 market remains a carefully balanced mix: mature economies lean on renovation to stabilize demand, while emerging markets benefit from more dynamic new-build growth. The competitive landscape remains moderately fragmented. The top ten players account for 24.9% of total sales volume, signaling room for challenger brands to differentiate through material specialization, technical advisory services, and expanded distribution partnerships. This list includes, in alphabetical order: Alucobond, Cembrit, Eternit, FunderMax, Hardie Cladding, Kronospan, Rheinzink, Rockpanel, Taylor-Maxwell, and Trespa. Country-level dynamics vary, but premium positioning, sustainability certifications, and lifecycle performance metrics are becoming central battlegrounds. Europe’s rainscreen cladding sector is entering a new strategic phase—one defined less by rapid expansion and more by selective, opportunity-driven growth. As Interconnection Consulting’s analysis makes clear, success will depend on precision: understanding sub-regional cycles, aligning materials with shifting business segments, and anticipating a future where renovation becomes not just a buffer, but the primary engine of expansion.

After several years of volatility surrounding the pandemic, inflation cycles, and valuation adjustments, the European fine art insurance market is entering a period of stabilisation marked by deep structural shifts rather than rapid expansion. According to Interconnection Consulting’s latest market analysis, total premiums across the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria are projected to reach €636 million in 2025, expanding by 2.43% in value despite nearly stagnant contract volumes, which rise by only 0.3%. This decoupling between premium growth and customer volume highlights a structural shift: expansion is now fuelled by higher insured values, inflation-adjusted sums and more rigorous underwriting standards, rather than by the addition of new policyholders.

Diverging Market Performance Across Europe

Overall market growth across Europe remains moderate, yet the dynamics vary significantly by country. Germany has settled into a mature, slow-growing structure in which Combined policies dominate, reflecting a shift toward bundled household and personal-line solutions. The UK, still one of Europe’s largest markets, continues to expand steadily as London’s cultural and private-collector ecosystems support sustained demand for specialist cover. France stands out as one of the strongest growth markets with a +3.6% CAGR until 2028f, driven by an exceptionally active cultural sector and expanding private collector base.

In contrast, Switzerland and Austria show stable but conservative growth patterns, anchored in high-value Fine Art-only policies and strong private-collector segments.

As one industry expert noted, “The market is no longer driven by the number of insured clients, but by the value they insure.”

This value-centric evolution is now consistent across Western Europe.

Private Collectors Drive Growth While Institutions Provide Structural Stability

The study highlights a Europe-wide shift toward private-client dominance. In France and the UK, private collectors now account for nearly 65–70% of premium volume, supported by high-net-worth demand, more frequent valuation updates, and rising interest in contemporary art. Switzerland remains the strongest private-collector market in Europe, reflecting its global concentration of wealth and long-standing culture of art investment.

Institutional demand: museums, foundations, municipal and regional collections, remains a stable backbone of the market, particularly in Germany and Austria. These clients show limited volatility and steadily increasing premiums linked to international loan activity and tighter risk management requirements. As one respondent observed, “Loans are becoming more complex, more international, and more frequent, insurance has become an integral part of exhibition planning.”

Temporary Exhibition Insurance Gains Momentum in Key Markets

A central finding of the study is the strong divergence in temporary-insurance behaviour. Germany and the UK demonstrate robust growth in temporary exhibition and loan insurance, supported by dense cultural programming, festival activity, and the return of postponed exhibitions. France also maintains strong momentum, with temporary insurance representing nearly one-fifth of total premiums.

Switzerland, by contrast, shows a persistent decline in temporary coverage, reflecting a domestic exhibition landscape that depends heavily on indemnities and long-term collection use rather than rapid exhibition turnover.

Austria sits between these patterns: permanent policies remain dominant, but temporary insurance is one of the fastest-growing segments, driven by Vienna’s increasingly international exhibition landscape.

Market Structure and Product Mix: A Consistent Shift Toward Value

Across Europe, fine art insurance is transitioning into a value-driven specialty market. While contract volumes grow slowly, often between 0.5% and 1.5% per year, average premiums and insured sums increase more substantially. This shift aligns with rising artwork valuations, inflation in conservation and logistics, and greater underwriting discipline across insurers.

Germany’s transition toward Combined policies, Switzerland’s sustained commitment to standalone Fine Art cover, and France’s growing share of integrated commercial policies highlight a polarisation in product strategies across regions.

The UK, meanwhile, retains a distinctive structure with one of the highest shares of direct distribution in Europe (about 34%), though specialists and brokers continue to dominate high-value and institutional risks.

The market remains predominantly broker-led, with 65.4% of premium volume distributed through intermediaries in 2025. Direct channels represent 34.6%, supported by digital platforms and high-value household insurance products, but the complexity of fine art underwriting continues to favor specialist brokers, especially for institutional and high-net-worth clients.

Outlook: Stable Growth Ahead as Market Becomes More Sophisticated

Looking ahead, the European fine art insurance market is expected to maintain steady and disciplined growth through 2028. Rising artwork valuations, expanding international exhibition networks, digitalization of underwriting and inventory processes, and increasing climate-risk considerations, such as humidity control, flooding and heat exposure, are shaping both insurer strategy and client demand. While some regional differences will persist, such as the dominance of Fine Art-only in Switzerland and the expansion of Combined policies in Germany, the overarching trend is clear: Europe is transitioning toward a more mature, value-centred fine art insurance market, characterised by higher underwriting quality, more sophisticated clients, and stronger integration between cultural and financial ecosystems.

Contact: Interconnection Consulting Allison Carranza | Market Analyst Tel: +43 1 585 46 23 - 50 Email: carranza@interconnectionconsulting.com

About Interconnection Consulting Interconnection Consulting has been a trusted provider of market intelligence since 1998, delivering actionable insights and data-driven analysis to empower businesses across industries.

After two years of fading colors, the European façade paints market is beginning to brighten again. Volumes reached their lowest point in 2025 at 280 million liters, down by -1.5%, but are expected to regain vibrancy from 2026 onward, climbing to 311 million liters by 2028 — equivalent to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5%. In value terms, the market is forecast to grow from €2.09 billion to €2.40 billion over the same period, reflecting a CAGR of 4.8%. These findings come from the new IC Market Tracking: Exterior Paints in Europe by Interconnection Consulting, which paints a detailed picture of trends across Germany, Slovakia, Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, France, Spain, and Poland. Still, the picture in 2025 is far from uniform. Poland (+6.1%) and Spain (+2.8%) are adding vibrant strokes of growth, while Slovakia (-7.6%) and Austria (-4.9%) are stuck in darker shades. Meanwhile, Germany and France, which together account for more than a third of regional demand, remain the steady canvas for the industry. “The market has reached its trough, but the road ahead looks very different depending on geography. Southern and Eastern markets are gaining momentum, while parts of Central Europe remain stuck in stagnation. This forces manufacturers to tailor strategies by region rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach,” comments Juan Carraha, Market Analyst at Interconnection Consulting. In terms of market volume, emulsions remain the largest product group in 2025 with 33.9%, though their share has been gradually eroding over recent years as demand shifts toward higher-performance alternatives. Silicone-based paints follow with 29.2%, valued for their durability and weather resistance, particularly in Central European climates. Acrylics account for 19.5% of demand, maintaining strong positions in Southern Europe due to their affordability, while silicate paints hold 17.4%, continuing to serve heritage and restoration projects across the region. On the business side, renovation projects account for 74.4% of demand in 2025, underscoring the sector’s reliance on upgrading existing buildings. However, new construction — which currently represents 25.6% — is expected to gain momentum in the coming years as building activity gradually recovers. Distribution remains dominated by indirect channels (70.9%), and the residential segment represents nearly 68.7% of demand. The competitive landscape is becoming increasingly consolidated, with the top ten companies accounting for 53.7% of total market value. These include, in alphabetical order, AkzoNobel, Brillux, Caparol, Cromology, Keimfarben, Meffert, PPG, Prosol, Sto, and Unikalo. While large international groups are shaping the contours of the European market, local champions continue to add distinctive brushstrokes across niche segments. The European exterior paints market is stabilizing, but its recovery is uneven and increasingly shaped by regional dynamics. Interconnection Consulting’s analysis makes clear: success in this market will depend not on broad strokes, but on precision—knowing where, how, and for whom to paint the future.

The European market for industrial and commercial cleaning machines is projected to exceed EUR 5.2 billion in 2025, following growth of 7.4% in 2024 and 8.1% in 2025. This reflects the sector’s resilience and modernization amid global uncertainty. Growth is driven by automation, smart robotic cleaning solutions, and eco-friendly technologies, supported by investments in construction, logistics, and healthcare. Both public and private sectors are renewing their fleets to improve efficiency, cut emissions, and meet stricter environmental standards. These results come from the study IC Market Forecast® Industrial & Commercial Cleaning Machines in Europe 2025, by Interconnection Consulting, covering major markets such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Turkey, Benelux, Greece, Romania, and the Nordics. According to Konstantinos Ioannou, author of the study, “The European professional cleaning industry is undergoing a structural transformation led by automation and sustainability. Companies that integrate intelligent and environmentally responsible technologies will be best positioned to maintain competitiveness in the coming years.” In 2025, Europe’s cleaning industry is clearly shifting toward automation and sustainability. Robotic cleaners grew by 13.5%, compared to 6.7% for traditional models, while the overall market rose by 8.1%. Although adoption differs among countries due to labor costs and industrial structure, robots show the strongest long-term growth, with an expected CAGR of 14.3% for 2024–2028. Environmental awareness is also driving the rise of eco-friendly municipal sweepers, which grew by 11.4% in 2025. Among Europe’s three leading markets, Germany remains the technological frontrunner, recording growth of 11.8% in 2024 and 8.8% in 2025. Expansion is supported by major infrastructure projects such as the Munich Airport extension, new hospitals, and large logistics centers by DASCHER, REWE, and AZO. The United Kingdom follows with growth of 7% in 2024 and 7.2% in 2025, driven by tighter chemical-use regulations, new Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ), and strong demand for robotic and green cleaning machines across logistics and hospitality. France grew by 7.1% in 2024 and 5.1% in 2025, reflecting the post-Olympic investment cycle. Key growth drivers include the NFPA 660 safety standard, Prologis’ EUR 6.4 billion investment plan, and the nationwide rollout of low- and zero-emission zones. The European market remains highly consolidated, with leading manufacturers — Avidbots, Bucher Municipal, Comac, Eureka, Fayat Cleantech, Fimap, Gausium, Hako, Kärcher, LionsBot, Nilfisk, Numatic, Taski, Tennant, and Wetrok — accounting for more than 60% of total market value.