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Spanish paints and printing inks industry gathers in Valencia to discuss growth, innovation and future challenges
The Spanish paints and printing inks industry gathered in Valencia for ASEFAPI’s annual meeting, highlighting another year of steady growth and resilience. With total turnover reaching €2.067 billion, the sector reported positive performance across decorative, industrial and printing ink markets. Discussions focused on changing construction trends, innovation priorities, export success and the challenges ahead. Labour costs and absenteeism emerged as the industry’s main concerns for 2026. The event also set the stage for ASEFAPI’s 50th Anniversary Congress, to be held next year in Madrid.
The Spanish Association of Paint and Printing Ink Manufacturers (ASEFAPI) brought together industry executives and member companies in Valencia on 27–28 May for its annual sector meeting and General Assembly. The event provided an opportunity to review the industry’s performance, discuss emerging market trends and address the key challenges expected to shape the sector in the coming years.
The Spanish paints and printing inks industry continued its positive momentum, recording growth of 2.2% and reaching a total turnover of €2.067 billion. All major market segments contributed to this performance, with decorative coatings growing by 2.8%, industrial coatings by 1.5%, and printing inks achieving the strongest growth at 3.6%.
During the meeting, participants discussed how evolving construction trends are influencing coating demand. The growing use of glass in modern buildings is reducing the surface area traditionally covered by architectural paints while creating new opportunities for advanced, high-performance coating technologies. This shift is also driving interest in low-VOC and more sustainable formulations that meet increasingly demanding environmental and performance requirements.
Innovation was another central topic. Industry data presented during the event revealed that Spanish R&D laboratories are primarily focused on regulatory compliance (28%) and cost reduction (27%), underlining the importance of balancing innovation with competitiveness in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment.
The sector also demonstrated strong business confidence. Around 43% of ASEFAPI member companies reported growth exceeding 5%, while exports have increased by 61% since 2015, highlighting the growing international competitiveness of Spanish manufacturers and their ability to expand into global markets.
The conference programme featured presentations and discussions on a range of issues affecting the industry, including labour absenteeism, transport and logistics, geopolitical developments, retail trends, and the broader economic and political outlook.
Looking ahead, labour costs and absenteeism were identified as the industry’s most significant concerns for 2026, standing well above other challenges. Regulatory pressures and increasing demands from customers were also cited as areas requiring continued attention.
As in previous years, the ASEFAPI meeting served as an important platform for knowledge sharing, networking and collaboration among manufacturers, suppliers and industry stakeholders. The next ASEFAPI Congress will be particularly significant, as it will mark the Association’s 50th Anniversary and will be held in Madrid.
