Research Lab in Japan Japan: Samsung Electronics announced on Wednesday the opening of a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) research lab in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, northern Japan, aimed at developing heating solutions for extreme weather conditions. The region, where winter temperatures can drop to minus 20°C, provides an ideal environment for testing defrost and heat pump systems. The company stated that the lab will focus on advancing technology research and

Partners with Barilla Heating Distribution UK: Samsung Climate Solutions has announced a strategic partnership with Barilla Heating Distribution, which will now act as a distributor for Samsung’s air source heat pump range across the UK. Established in 2007, Barilla has a strong presence in the heating industry and is well-equipped to meet the increasing demand for advanced heating solutions. The collaboration underscores Samsung’s ongoing investment in its distribution netwo

Air Conditioners Lead Brand Competitiveness South Korea: Despite the ongoing economic downturn and high inflation this year, efforts to enhance brand competitiveness stood out in Korea’s manufacturing sector, particularly in home appliances such as air conditioners. According to the Korea Productivity Center’s 2025 National Brand Competitiveness Index (NBCI) survey, the air conditioner sector recorded the greatest improvement in brand competitiveness, rising by 2.6% from the

Launches First Smart Home Appliance China: Xiaomi announced the start of production at its first smart home appliance factory in Wuhan, China, marking its third major manufacturing base after its automobile and smartphone factories. Spanning 751 mu (about 500,000 square meters), the new facility initially focuses on air conditioner production and features six sub-factories covering the full supply chain of household and central air-conditioning systems. Equipped with Xiaomi’s

Bans Toilet and Sanitary Ware Exports EU: The European Union has banned the export of lavatory pans, bidets, and other sanitary ware to Russia as part of its 19th sanctions package. According to the ruling of the EU Council published in the Official Journal of the EU, "bidets, lavatory pans, flushing cisterns and similar sanitary ware" have been added to the list of goods prohibited for export to Russia. The EU provided no rationale for this specific prohibition. The new sanc

Sanitation as Open Defecation Namibia: Namibia continues to struggle with major sanitation challenges, with 40% of the country’s 756,339 households still practising open defecation, according to the 2023 Census Report released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA). Speaking at the first National Sanitation Symposium on behalf of the minister of agriculture, water and land reform, deputy minister Ruthy Masake highlighted that the problem is most severe in rural areas and info

Loss from Sanitary Ware Ban Italy: Italian companies are set to lose millions of euros following the European Union’s renewed ban on selling sanitary ware, including toilets and bidets, to Russia as part of its 19th sanctions package adopted last week. The restriction, first introduced in 2022, has been extended and criticised by business representatives as damaging to Italian industry. The ban on sanitary ware exports alone is estimated to cost the Italian economy around 140

Strong Q3 Earnings USA: A.O. Smith (AOS) reported quarterly earnings of $0.94 per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.89 per share and marking a +5.62% earnings surprise. This compares to $0.82 per share recorded a year ago, with all figures adjusted for non-recurring items. In the previous quarter, the company had been expected to post earnings of $0.97 per share but achieved $1.07, delivering a +10.31% surprise. Over the last four quarters, A.O. Smith has e

construction THAILAND: The Thai condominium market experienced a notable slowdown in the first half of 2025, according to Knight Frank analysts. Major developers such as Sansiri, Sena, Major Development, and SC Asset delayed the launch of new projects, Real Estate Asia reported. However, experts highlighted opportunities in the secondary market, where significant discounts are currently available. "Over the past six months, no significant projects for the construction of new

Manufacturing unit USA: U.S.-based sanitary ware manufacturer Fluidmaster has expanded its operations in Slovenia with the opening of a new facility at its Postojna factory, the company’s local unit announced. The new building includes both manufacturing areas and office space, according to a Facebook post by Fluidmaster Slovenija, which did not disclose additional details. Fluidmaster entered the Slovenian market in 2014 through the acquisition of Postojna-based Kolektor Liv

LG Logo EUROPE: Zeliatech Srl, a European distributor of sustainable technologies and a subsidiary of Esprinet Spa, announced a new partnership with LG Electronics Italia, a long-standing strategic partner within Esprinet’s portfolio across the TV, monitor, notebook, and home appliance segments. This collaboration marks an expansion of their existing partnership into the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) sector, enhancing Esprinet’s portfolio and reinforcing i

Gas Boiler The immediate fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 was the European energy crisis that followed. The souring of relations with Europe over the invasion of Ukraine threatened the availability of gas for heating and other purposes during harsh winter months, with the Russian Federation being the biggest gas supplier to the continent. In order to maintain energy security and mitigate the impending impact of this development, various European governments pushed fo