The Rise of Chinese Sanitaryware in East Africa Chinese sanitaryware has established a strong foothold in the East African market, particularly within the lower-income segment, while the premium category remains largely dominated by Western brands such as Ideal Standard, Duravit, and Roca. At first glance, China’s dominance appears to stem from its competitive pricing, which makes its products highly accessible to cost-conscious consumers. Yet the picture is far more nuanced.

SCG Decor THAILAND: SCG Decor Public Company Limited (SCGD) reported robust third-quarter results for 2025, achieving its strongest performance since listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Net profit rose sharply as the company enhanced operational efficiency, expanded production at PRIME Vietnam its regional production and export hub and launched innovative high-value-added (HVA) bathroom and kitchen solutions. New offerings such as the DUACT-TAP & GO automatic toilet, X

Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Limited INDIA: Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Limited (KPCL) has announced plans to enter the commercial air conditioning segment, aiming to tap into a market valued at over ₹5,000 crore (~US$602 million). The company’s Board has approved filing a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme application to support this venture.  The initiative is part of KPCL’s broader strategy to diversify its portfolio beyond its core air, refrigeration, and gas compres

ScottishPower and Panasonic UNITED KINGDOM: ScottishPower and Panasonic have announced a new partnership aimed at making green home heating more accessible and affordable for UK households. Customers purchasing a Panasonic heat pump through ScottishPower will receive a £1,000 (~US$1312.4) discount, along with an additional £300 (~US$393.7) energy bill credit for those who also get their energy supply from ScottishPower. The promotion includes a heat pump optimizer and smart r

TOTO Reports Mixed Regional Performance with Growth in Asia and Europe Japan: TOTO Corporation reported varied performance across its global operations for the third quarter of FY2025. The company plans to accelerate the expansion of new products with strong demand. Its International Housing Equipment Business also saw a mixed performance, while the Americas recorded a significant increase in WASHLET sales across all channels, profits were affected by exchange rates and growt

Bricoman to Rebrand as Tecnomat in France by Spring 2026 France: The French building materials chain Bricoman will officially rebrand as Tecnomat in spring 2026, following the same step taken by its parent company Adeo in Italy three years ago. The professional distribution chain currently operates 37 locations across France. As part of the transition, the future Tecnomat stores will offer 20,000 items in stock, along with 350,000 additional products available through the onl

UK Government Raises “Boiler Tax” as Heat Pump Quota Increases from 6% to 8% by 2026 UK: Ed Miliband has announced an increase in the “boiler tax,” expected to add about EUR 117 to the cost of replacing household boilers. From April 2026, boiler manufacturers must ensure 8% of their sales are heat pumps, up from the current 6%. For every 92 boilers sold, eight heat pumps must be sold, with fines of EUR 585 imposed for each shortfall. The additional costs are passed on to cons

TruTankless Expands Operations with New 14,000-Square-Foot Phoenix Facility U.S.: TruTankless celebrated the grand opening of its new 14,000-square-foot facility in Phoenix, which will function as a distribution center and training hub, among other purposes. The company, a leader in electric tankless water heating, remains focused on delivering efficient, reliable, and eco-friendly residential water heating solutions. The new facility will support the launch of TruTankless’s

Bosch Postpones Construction of Planned Heat Pump Factory in Poland Poland: Bosch has announced the suspension of its planned heat pump manufacturing facility in Dobromierz, Lower Silesia, citing slower-than-expected growth in European demand for heat pumps and increasing political and economic uncertainty across the region. The factory, originally intended to expand Bosch’s existing European heat pump production network, which includes facilities in Portugal, Germany and Swe

Somany Impresa Group Invests in Building Materials Platform Through Corporate VC Arm India: Somany Impresa Group has expanded its corporate venture capital activities through its investment arm, SIG Tattva, with a strategic investment of INR 60 million (USD 0.7 million/ EUR 0.65 million) in Mad Over Buildings, a fintech-enabled B2B ecommerce platform for building materials. This marks SIG Tattva’s second publicly announced investment since its formal launch in November last y

Mitsubishi Electric Expands HVAC and IT Cooling Operations in Southern Africa South Africa: Mitsubishi Electric has strengthened its collaboration with Intramech to expand its applied HVAC and IT cooling operations across southern Africa. The partnership will integrate Mitsubishi Electric’s product portfolio with Intramech’s local expertise in sales, service, and engineering to deliver comprehensive one-stop solutions. The collaboration aims to enhance capabilities in system

Trane Technologies Reports Growth in Third Quarter Financial Results Ireland: Trane Technologies reported an increase in enterprise bookings and earnings for the third quarter of 2025. Total bookings reached USD 6 billion (approximately EUR 5.5 billion), marking a 15 percent rise compared to the same period last year, with organic growth of 13 percent. The company’s commercial HVAC segment in the Americas led performance, recording about 30 percent growth, including over 100

MVV Commissions Construction of Large-Scale River-Source Heat Pump in Mannheim Germany: MVV Energie AG has appointed STRABAG Umwelttechnik GmbH to construct a second river-source heat pump at the Grosskraftwerk Mannheim AG site as part of its ongoing efforts to transform the energy system in the Rhine-Neckar region. The project, representing a total investment of up to EUR 200 million (USD 218 million), will receive funding under Germany’s federal programme for efficient heat

Daikin Opens New R&D Centre in Belgium and Unveils CO₂-Based Heat Pump Belgium: Daikin has expanded its European operations with the opening of a new research and development centre in Ghent, Belgium. Built to near-zero energy standards, the 30,600 m² facility includes a 14-storey office tower and a six-storey testing complex, developed with an investment of EUR 140 million (approximately USD 152 million). The centre serves as Daikin’s main development hub for the Europe, Mid

Energy Save Partners with JCE to Distribute Heat Pumps in South America Chile/South America: ES Energy Save Holding AB has entered into a distribution agreement with JCE South America to introduce its heat pump products to the South American market, beginning with Chile. JCE, which has been active in the region since 1987 across sectors including hardware, distribution, forestry and real estate, will serve as the exclusive distributor of Energy Save-branded heat pumps in Chil

Issues Tender to Improve Energy Efficiency Jordan: The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has announced a new tender for the design, supply, installation, connection, operation, and maintenance of renewable energy systems aimed at improving energy efficiency in nine public hospitals in Jordan’s northern region through solar thermal water heating (STWH). Interested contractors are invited to obtain tender documents from the ministry’s tenders department or electronically

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