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Ceramic tiles are growing in popularity in Nepal due to their attractive designs, textures and colour options. Increasing disposable income levels and a preference for ceramic tiles over conventional flooring materials are also driving their popularity. Several factors, including the construction industry and government initiatives, are expected to further contribute to this market’s growth. In his article, Yogender Singh Malik discusses the immense potential of the ceramic tile market in Nepal.

The quality and reputation of Japanese tableware manufacturers have kept them at the forefront of both the domestic and export markets for decades. The country’s premium labels manufacture and sell sanitaryware for both the middle and high-end segments of the consumer market. The Japanese ceramic sanitaryware manufacturers accomplish this by not only operating production facilities in their native country but also by maintaining plants in other Asian countries to serve the Japanese and global markets, according to Jahir Ahmed, who offers insights into the market for tableware and sanitaryware in Japan.

It is unlikely ceramic manufacturers would have imagined that cobalt, the obscure mineral they used to give their products a deep blue hue, would one day become an essential raw material of great strategic importance, coveted by the world’s most powerful nations. They would also have been surprised to find that the mineral, which appears in oxide form in ceramic glazes and colourants, and whose value fluctuates like other commodities, would be subject to such wild price fluctuations. In the past few years, cobalt’s importance has vastly increased as a critical mineral because of the rapid, sharp rise in its demand. Rohan Gunasekera goes on a quest to discover more about this elusive mineral so vital to ceramic manufacturers.

Among the five major ceramic-producing countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), high-quality porcelain production is increasingly entering the building ceramics industry on a large scale, along with traditional ceramic tableware, kitchenware, and decorative items. Despite this, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam continue to be deficit markets for porcelain tableware and building porcelain. Ceramics investors would benefit from the region’s potential, says Jahir Ahmed.

Modern kilns offer a range of firing techniques and fuel options, including greener fuel options when available, as well as completely new firing techniques. Most advanced suppliers are testing new furnaces, firing techniques, and fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen. According to Rohan Gunasekera writing in this issue’s Tech Focus, ceramic manufacturers are experimenting with many options, ranging from modernising existing kilns to employing new firing methods and fuels to increase efficiency and reduce emissions. This can only be a positive development for the entire industry – for the suppliers of these technologies and for the ceramic manufacturers who use them in their manufacturing processes.

A world-leading ceramic brand with a headquarters in Mettlach, Germany, Villeroy & Boch has a presence in more than 100 countries. In this issue, Talking Shop features CEO Gabi Schupp discussing the company’s performance and future plans.