Thursday, 03 July 2025 23:19 
🧱The German Construction Market: Opportunities for Ukrainian Building Materials Manufacturers
The opportunities within the German construction market for Ukrainian building materials manufacturers were explored in detail during a webinar organized by the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine (CBU) in partnership with Crowe Mikhailenko, a member of the Board of Directors of the CBU, on May 28, 2025.
👤Speakers included Nataliia Tserkovnikova, Partner at Crowe Mikhailenko and Head of the Marketing Research Practice, and Anton Doktorov, Senior Specialist of the Marketing Research Practice. They presented an up-to-date analysis of the German market, covering key trends, barriers, and export opportunities.
Germany is one of the key players in the European construction sector. The industry employs over 2.6 million people across more than 360,000 companies, with an annual turnover exceeding €430 billion. The building materials segment is also significant, with more than 4,000 enterprises, 145,000 employees, and turnover exceeding €30 billion. The main product categories include cement, concrete, bricks, insulation, drywall, and construction chemicals.
📉Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the market experienced a period of growth. However, 2023 marked a turning point: the number of new building permits dropped by 27%, with only around 230,000 new homes expected in 2024 instead of the originally planned 400,000. In response, the German government introduced incentive programs, with a focus on timber construction and the renovation of the existing housing stock.
This has triggered a structural transformation of the market: a shift from new construction toward renovation, energy efficiency, participation in public tenders, and the implementation of state programs. Demand for insulation materials, ventilation systems, and energy-efficient windows is growing rapidly. Prices for tiles and PVC frames are also on the rise, while prices for rebar, mesh, and timber are falling due to reduced demand for new construction.
📜Participants learned about certification requirements, including mandatory documentation, quality standards, and practical tips for preparing products to enter the German market. The impact of sanctions against russia was also discussed. While these sanctions have increased the cost of construction materials in Germany, they have simultaneously created new niches for alternative suppliers — including those from Ukraine.
Special attention was paid to market entry barriers — from finding partners and distributors to logistical challenges and compliance with EU technical regulations. The speakers shared practical tools for overcoming these challenges and outlined the 2025 outlook: rising construction costs, ongoing inflation, and strong demand for innovative and energy-efficient solutions.
🔍Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and receive individual consultations. The webinar served as a valuable platform for Ukrainian companies seeking to scale up, explore new markets, and prepare for entry into the EU market.
👉The recording is available on the CBU YouTube channel (Ukrainian language):
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