REPORTS How will thc Brexit affcct thc bathroom industry? On 23 June, the British voted to leave the European Union by a small but sufficicnt majority. Falls in stock markcts, dcprcciation of thc pound and a general uncertainty about the futuro were thc first conscquences of this decisión, which has thc British facing a rcduction in thcir economy and a possible recession. With a forccast of a minimum of two ycars for the United Kingdom and the European Union to negotiate thc torras of departure, it should be noted that thc UK was the third destination for exports from thc Spanish bathroom sector in 2015, although today the current outlook, rcgardlcss of the Brexit, is good in thc médium term, since it is a growing market, despite the impact of thc referendum on thc results during thc First half of this year. Contract. Thcre are many factors that should be taken into account when equipping bathrooms in hotcls, shops and landmark buildings. Besides thc durability and reliability of thc equipment, for thc purposes of rcturn on investment, thcre are other factors such as the growing importancc of saving water in these establishmcnts and thc emotional componcnt of thc bathroom, which is now known to play a key role in thc degree of customcr satisfaction. Having said all that, thc contract channcl is also of grcat interest to the bathroom industry, for which it can be a major source of revenue in countries like ours, where tourism is onc of thc main cconomic sectors. Rcnovation. The opinión of bathroom sector professionals is unanimous in considering thc arca of rcnovation as onca of thc keys to its recoven’. And the fact is that, despite the relativo recoven- of thc construction sector, everyone is aware that thc industry related to housing should consider rchabilitation as its main pillar of growth in thc short and médium term, both in Spain and throughout Europe. And, within the scope of rcnovation, bathroom rcnovation work is a priority for thc Spanish, as evidcnced by some of thc major studics conductcd on the subject. Reindustrialization. It has long been talkcd about thc nced for the reindus64 NITARISTA'S trialization of Europe in general and Spain in particular. Proof of this is the tough objective of the European Commission to raisc thc sharc of industry in GDP to 20% by 2020, a goal that in our country thc Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism also endorsed, starting out from the current 16%. The main argu- ment supporting this position is lower expo- surc to financial crises causcd by eyelieal movements, since the economies in which thc weight of the industrial sector in GDP is higher, for cxample, Germany, have greater cmployment stability and resistance to cconomic crises. This also involves benefits to other cconomic sectors, given thc drag cffect of industry over other sectors, and the improved ove rail competitiveness of thc economy, due to the incrcascd intensity of R&D activity in thc industrial sector and its impact on improving exports. INTERVIEWS Francisco Duran, Sales Manager of Coycama: «Wc are in a time of expansión, both inside and outside Spain». Interview with Andrés Castejon, new director of Tcka Sanitary Systems. MIRKETS Taps In thc digital age, where everything seems to have to be smart, taps are no cxccption. Proof of this are tcchnological innovations such as
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