Germany Still The Undisputed Leader In The EU Piano Production
Musical instruments April 16, 2015
In 2013, total production in Germany, France and Estonia covered 65-75% of EU piano production in value terms. The countries with the largest production in absolute values were Germany (102 million EUR), Estonia (1.7 million EUR) and France (817 thousand EUR). The most significant annual growth of production in the EU was registered in Germany (+10.4%).
Western Europe is home to the world's most respected piano builders: Grotrian, Bechstein, Hamburg Steinway, Fazioli, Bosendorfer, and Sauter. They all have well-established traditions of exceptionally high levels of craftsmanship, design, and longevity. For example, German piano design typically focuses on clarity of the harmonic structure, long singing sustain, and robust but efficient construction, especially C. Bechstein, Hamburg Steinway and Grotrian that are famous for their professionalism in curing of wood.
Acoustic grand pianos (including automatic pianos) accounted for a high share (68.1% in 2013, based EUR) of the total production in the EU-28. The second place was taken by acoustic new upright pianos (including automatic pianos), which took a share of 31.5% in the total volume of EU production in value terms.
Driven by technological progress, the musical instruments industry has been subject to innovations. An emerging trend seems to be the conversion of piano factories in Central and Eastern Europe into piano rebuilding factories. Operations such as www.saprenovation.com are becoming increasingly more common. There is now a significant number of older luxury brands being remanufactured in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
