Spain: Low and medium
voltage electrical
material sector
ICEX sector reports
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two
three
four
five
six
Sector definition
Spanish sector overview
Foreign trade
Leading companies
Trade fairs
Useful addresses
The low and medium voltage
electrical material sector
one
The products included in the low and medium-voltage electrical material sector are those materials,
equipment, components and accessories for use in fixed electrical installations, both industrial and
domestic, and in the construction sector.
The sector is made up of the following product groups:
Switchgear (capacitors, relays, etc.)
Cables and insulation
Containers (electrical cabinets and boxes)
Technical lighting (lighting for hotels, public streets, etc.)
Installation material (wiring, etc.)
Small electrical supplies (switches, bulb sockets, etc.)
Domotics
Spanish sector overview
two
The Spanish sector for low and medium-voltage electrical material is made up of 255 companies
that employ 16,255 workers with sales of €5.9 billion in 2010.
A large percentage of these companies are small and medium-sized enterprises that can be highly
flexible in their decision-making.
The characteristics of the sector include the progressive integration of leading national companies
into multinational groups, which in some cases have their decision-making centers outside of Spain.
YEAR
Companies
Jobs
Sales*
*€ millions
2007
258
21,166
9,028
2008
260
20,101
8,243
2009
2010
258
255
16,985 16,255
5,721 5,954
Source: Afme
Low and medium voltage electrical material sector
2
The sector has suffered a significant decline since 2008, primarily due to the downturn in construction, which has hit companies whose sales depend on this sector particularly hard. Products for the
industrial sector were not affected by the crisis until later, but by 2009 they were falling at a similar
rate to the others.
However, in 2010 sales have picked-up, mainly due to an improvement in the industrial sectors that
also use some domotics components.
Geographic distribution
Region
%
Catalonia
Madrid
Aragon
Valencia Region
Basque Country
Other
45%
19%
9%
8%
8%
11%
Source: Afme
Companies in the sector are located throughout the country, with a notable concentration in Catalonia, which represents 45% of the sector. Madrid is home to 19% of companies thanks to a significant number of multinational firms that have their headquarters there.
Aragon accounts for 9% of companies while the Valencia region and the Basque Country have 8%
each. The remaining 11% is distributed among the other regions.
Most Spanish companies specialize in a specific market segment. There is fierce competition
among them and their positions in the different niche markets depend on technological innovation,
new designs, ease of installation and competitive prices.
Technological evolution (R&D+i)
R&D+i is one of the competitive advantages of the Spanish sector.
In the area of automation in homes and in commercial or industrial buildings, research is being carried out into remote control for all building functions, as well as for energy saving.
In the management of public lighting, R&D is focused on the rational use of energy, controlling
switch-on and switch-off times, as well as lighting intensity.
There are also technologies being developed to improve energy efficiency.
Low and medium voltage electrical material sector
3
Sector strengths
The strengths of the Spanish low and medium-voltage electrical material sector include:
• Constant innovation in products and manufacturing processes.
• Quality. Most companies in the sector are ISO 9002 certified, and an increasing number are also ISO 9001 certified.
• Increased competitiveness. Both in costs and in the level of technological innovation, to prevent production relocation.
• Specialization. Developing specific products that enable the company to position itself in certain sectors.
• Product certification. Compliance with national and international standards.
• Companies’ ability to adapt to the new economic and technological circumstances.
Sector associations
AFME
Association of Electrical Material Manufacturers
www.afme.es
Established in 1982, it currently has 132 members with combined sales accounting for 69% of all
sector sales and 73% of all the Spanish sector’s exports.
AMEC-AMELEC
Spanish Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Electrical and Electronic Material
www.amec.es/amelec
It has 64 members, with sales representing 16% of the sector sales and 22% of its exports.
Low and medium voltage electrical material sector
4
Foreign trade
three
Spanish trade balance of the
low and medium-voltage electrical material sector
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
0
-2,000,000
2007
2008
2009
2010
-4,000,000
Exports
2007
2008
2009
2010
3,255,091
3,188,739
4,932,369
5,647,331
Imports
4,385,479
4,440,932
6,498,187
6,599,666
Balance
-1,130,388
-1,252,192
-1,565,818
-952,335
Data in € 000s
Source: created internally based on Customs data
Country ranking of Spanish exports by the
low and medium-voltage electrical material sector
Ranking
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Country
France
Germany
Italy
Portugal
United States
United Kingdom
Morocco
Mexico
China
Turkey
Total top 10
Other countries
Total exports
2007
2008
2009
2010
1,009,321
641,819
329,831
428,509
597,191
236,139
205,765
86,057
178,960
78,247
3,791,838
1,973,519
5,765,357
862,908
638,977
312,614
424,421
733,462
221,002
301,986
81,216
122,083
79,746
3,778,415
2,156,948
5,935,363
797,086
612,052
284,958
352,282
290,299
145,975
186,134
95,267
120,059
84,012
2,968,124
1,964,245
4,932,369
1,069,159
634,059
483,042
400,985
235,133
230,780
213,469
121,950
117,341
105,230
3,611,148
2,036,183
5,647,331
Data in € 000s
Source: created internally based on Customs data
Low and medium voltage electrical material sector
5
Product ranking of Spanish exports from the
low and medium-voltage electrical material sector
2007
2008
2009
2010
1
85030099 – PARTS FOR APPARATUS
OF HEADINGS 8501 OR 8502.
454,839
738,196
838,331
700,913
2
85451100 - CARBON ELECTRODES
OF THE TYPE USED IN OVENS
252,563
272,951
211,989
253,803
3
85444995 - ELECTRICITY CONDUCTORS
146,570
182,228
188,396
253,200
4
85444290 - OTHER COAXIAL CABLES
AND OTHER COAXIAL ELECTRIC
CONDUCTORS
378,428
331,985
193,310
238,649
5
85011099 – SYNCHRONOUS MOTORS OF AN OUTPUT NOT EXCEEDING 37.5 W
267,473
200,422
187,302
185,595
6
84129080 – PARTS OF MOTORS AND
MACHINERY NOT MENTIONED IN
OTHER HEADINGS
45,168
64,943
81,098
173,508
7
85444999 - OTHER ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS
164,133
144,748
105,377
151,484
85381000 – BOARDS, PANELS, CONSOLES... AND OTHER BASES FOR
GOODS OF HEADING 8537.
130,514
140,171
119,281
149,716
85369010 - CONNECTIONS FOR
CABLES WITH A VOLTAGE NOT
EXCEEDING 1,000 VOLTS.
180,681
176,431
125,522
144,899
85030091 – PARTS FOR USE SOLELY
OR PRINCIPALLY WITH THE MACHINES OF HEADING 8501 OR 8502, OF
CAST IRON OR STEEL
428,012
390,442
202,291
143,188
Total top 10 products
2,448,382
2,642,518
2,252,897
2,394,955
Other products
3,316,975
3,292,845
2,679,472
3,252,376
Total sector exports
5,765,357
5,935,363
4,932,369
5,647,331
Ranking
8
9
10
Data in € 000s
Source: created internally based on Customs data
Low and medium voltage electrical material sector
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Leading companies
four
The leading companies in the sector by volume of sales are the following:
SOLER Y PALAU
TOP CABLE
SIMON
LUXIONA
FERMAX
CIRCUTOR
www.soler-palau.com
www.topcable.com
www.simon.es
www.troll.es
www.fermax.com
www.circutor.com
Source: Afme
Trade fairs
five
FAIR
MATELEC
International Exhibition of Electrical and Electronic Equipment
LOCATION
Madrid, Spain
www.matelec.ifema.es
FAIR
CONSTRUMAT
International Construction Fair
LOCATION
Barcelona, Spain
www.construmat.com
FAIR
EXPO ELECTRICA INTERNACIONAL
LOCATION
Mexico City, Mexico
www.expoelectrica.com.mx
Low and medium voltage electrical material sector
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FAIR
LIGHT + BUILDING
Trade Fair for Architecture and Technology
LOCATION
Frankfurt, Germany
www.light-and-building.de
FAIR
INDUSTRIE MESSE
Multi-sector fair including industrial-grade electrical material
LOCATION
Hannover, Germany
www.hannovermesse.de
FAIR
ELEKTRO
Exhibition for electrical equipment and engineering
LOCATION
Moscow, Russia
www.elektro-expo.ru
FAIR
MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITY
LOCATION
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
www.middleeastelectricity.com
FAIR
ENERGETAB
International Power Industry
LOCATION
Bielsko-Biala, Poland
www.ziad.bielsko.pl
Low and medium voltage electrical material sector
8
Useful addresses
six
ITE
Electrical Technology Institute
www.itenergia.com
ELECTRO NEWS
Sector publication
www.tecnipublicaciones.com/sumarios/default.asp
DISTRELEC
Sector publication
www.tecnoedicion.com
ELECTRA
Sector publication
www.elinstalador.es
ELEKTROINSTALACIÓN
Sector publication
http://www.elektroprofesional.com/elektroinstalacion.asp
ELEKTROPROFESIONAL
Sector publication
www.elektroprofesional.com/
Low and medium voltage electrical material sector
9
© Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX).
Pº de la Castellana 14-16 28046 MADRID | 902 349 000
Report prepared in 2011 by the Information Dept.
of the Industrial Products and Technology Division.
www.spaintechnology.com
www.icex.es | www.spainbusiness.com