The market for curtain walls in the ASEAN countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand) is bound to plummet by 9.6% this year due to the COVID-19 crisis. However, the market will recover very quickly and by 2022 will have already exceeded the pre-crisis market volume, as a new report by Interconnection Consulting shows.

Good conditions for a quick rebound

The integration of the ASEAN region into the global industrialization process, as well as into global tourism and the construction sector, offers strong impulses for the construction industry. The wave of urbanization is also a strong driver of the construction industry and is even more dominant in the ASEAN countries than in Europe or the USA. These factors are decisive for the construction industry and thus also the market for curtain walls to keep going faster than e.g. in Europe.

Vietnam benefits from the trade war

Indonesia and the Philippines are not only the most populous ASEAN countries, but also the most dynamic markets, recording an astounding growth level. Indonesia is also the largest market for curtain walls in the ASEAN region with a share of 32.5%. Vietnam benefits from the trade war between China and the United States, as many foreign factories move from China to Vietnam to avoid trade tariffs. Therefore, despite Corona, the industry growth in Vietnam will average 2.4% annually over the next few years until 2022. By contrast, while Singapore and Thailand have poorer growth prospects, Malaysia has stable growth prospects.

Smart working instead of office presence

The most important material type is reportedly aluminum glass, with a lion’s share of 84.3%. Above all, it is the cost efficiency that speaks for aluminum and against e.g. Steel / glass, which only has a market share of 8.0%. The largest application area for curtain walls is office buildings with a share of 32.8%. In contrast to many other regions, the residential sector (e.g. apartments) remains a very important segment for curtain walls in Southeast Asia at 27.2% of the total. There could also be shifts in favor of co-working spaces in the future. “There will be more smart working and it is likely that there will be less office space for the same number of employees,” stated Vito Graziano, author of the report. Furthermore, it can be expected that the new development of hotels will only progress very slowly in the next few years due to setbacks in tourism.

Downward trend in raw material prices strengthens margins

Overall, the renovation sector makes up a small chunk of the market with around 15% of the total volume. Conversely, new construction makes up for a share of 85.7%, and this trend will not change in the next few years. But the corona crisis also has immediate positive effects for producers: in the wake of the corona crisis, raw material prices are on a downward trend worldwide, which should strengthen the margins of facade manufacturers overall.

Copyright: Interconnection, Publication free of charge for coverage regarding the study and InterConnection Consulting.