The Largest Economy in Western Europe, Germany is a Key Focus Market for European Competitors
Germany is the largest of the regional market for personal protective equipment (PPE) in Western Europe. Germany is well-known for a large manufacturing sector, which drives the use of PPE. Market participants include both global manufacturers as well as a large number of local competitors. This study provides an insight into this regional market for PPE. Top end-user industries and regional market trends are discussed. Revenue estimates and forecasts are provided for the different types of PPE such as above-the-neck protection, respiratory protection, disposable and non-disposable hand protection, protective apparel, foot protection, fall protection, and gas detectors. Specific growth opportunities in the German PPE market are also discussed.
Within the German manufacturing sector, certain segments drive the use more greatly than others. Automotive, transportation, and general manufacturing are both major parts of the manufacturing sector and large users of PPE, including hand protection, foot protection, hearing protection, safety helmets, eye protection, and protective apparel. Investments in infrastructure are increasing, which is leading to greater use of all types of PPE including fall protection for the construction and telecommunications industry. Germany has also made strides to increase the use of renewable energy. Windmill construction and maintenance are driving the growth of fall protection like harnesses and netting. Fall protection is growing the fastest in the German PPE market, but hand protection is a much larger market segment due to its prevalence in all industries that require any PPE. Other industries that require PPE, like oil and gas and mining, do not make up a large portion of the manufacturing sector.
The safety standards in Germany have followed European Union directives and have been developed locally by the Joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy. Currently, these standards are changing slightly due to recent European Union regulations (2016/425) that will apply all in the EU. Discussion of these new standards and the impact in Germany are in this report. The shifts for certain PPE, such as hearing protection, will have an impact on certain industries like construction.
The distribution of personal protection equipment in Germany is highly fragmented, involving many localized specialty distributors, technical traders, as well as larger office supplies distributors. High-quality PPE is expected by end users as Germany is a safety-conscious country. One-stop shopping is growing for commodity versions of PPE while expertise is PPE preferred with high-risk safety scenarios. German end users have a preference for Europe-made products, especially those made in Germany due to a perceived improvement in product quality.
The greatest growth opportunities within the German PPE market are detailed in this report. These business opportunities are based on analysis of the German market in terms of the use of PPE, the growth of certain manufacturing sectors, the growth of certain PPE market segments, and the distribution trends in Germany, and upcoming innovations in the personal protection equipment industry. Capitalizing on these growth opportunities should lead to substantial short-term and long-term growth.
