APICER - Associação Portuguesa das Indústrias de Cerâmica e de Cristalaria

What APICER - Associação Portuguesa das Indústrias de Cerâmica e de Cristalaria does

APICER (Associação Portuguesa das Indústrias de Cerâmica e de Cristalaria) is a Portuguese non-profit trade association founded on December 20, 1996, headquartered in Coimbra. It functions as the sole national-level sectoral body representing the Portuguese ceramics and glassware industries, consolidating what had previously been three separate associations. APICER represents more than 40 member companies across six subsectors: ceramic finishes (floor and wall tiles), special ceramics (refractory and electro-technical), structural ceramics (bricks and roof tiles), sanitary ware, utilitarian and decorative ceramics, and domestic glassware. Its member roster includes major national and multinational manufacturers such as Roca, Vista Alegre, Revigrés, Sanindusa, BMI Cobert, and Bordallo Pinheiro.

The association's service portfolio spans regulatory compliance support, fiscal and legal assistance, energy and environmental consulting (delivered in coordination with technology center CTCV), professional training (via CENCAL), product certification coordination, and collective bargaining representation. Its media footprint includes the bimonthly Kéramica magazine (available in Portuguese and English on Issuu), a monthly newsletter, statistical reports ("A Cerâmica Portuguesa em Números," "A Cristalaria Portuguesa em Números"), technical manuals for ceramic applications, sustainability guides, and international promotional catalogs under brands such as "The Art of Possibility." Internationally, APICER coordinates Portuguese presence at trade fairs including NeoCon (Chicago), 100% Design (London), and Big 5 Show (Dubai), and holds membership in five European federations (Cerame-Unie, TBE, CET, FECS, FEPF) plus three national confederations (CIP, AEP, CPCI).

APICER's revenue model is membership-based: ordinary members pay monthly quotas tiered by revenue bracket (ranging from EUR 150/month for firms under EUR 250K revenue up to EUR 1,200/month for firms over EUR 50M revenue, with a one-time joining fee capped at EUR 500), while extraordinary members pay a fixed EUR 100/month plus a EUR 300 joining fee. Secondary revenue comes from Kéramica magazine subscriptions (EUR 43-90/year depending on geography) and ancillary publication sales. The association operates with a small staff of approximately 7 employees, with governance executed by a Direction (Board) composed of member-company representatives, a General Assembly Board, and a Supervisory Board. APICER is not a commercially traded entity and has no venture capital, private equity, or external investor ownership; it is governed by and for its member companies.

Name

APICER - Associação Portuguesa das Indústrias de Cerâmica e de Cristalaria

Legal name

APICER - Associação Portuguesa das Indústrias de Cerâmica e de Cristalaria

Website

https://apicer.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

APICER is the sole Portuguese national trade association representing 40+ ceramics and glassware manufacturers across six subsectors (tiles, sanitary ware, roof tiles, tableware, refractories, and glassware), delivering regulatory advocacy, training, certification support, and international promotion from its Coimbra headquarters since 1996.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Coimbra

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership fees from ordinary and extraordinary members. Ordinary members pay based on revenue brackets (0-250K: 150 EUR/month, 250K-500K: 200 EUR/month, etc.), extraordinary members pay fixed 100 EUR/month.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APICER is a non-profit trade association that represents Portuguese ceramics and glassware industry companies, providing industry representation, regulatory compliance support, fiscal and legal assistance, energy management consulting, professional training coordination, environmental compliance, collective bargaining representation, and international promotion services. The association publishes the bimonthly Kéramica magazine, statistical reports, technical manuals, and international promotional catalogues to support member companies.

Product overview

APICER offers a portfolio of publications and services for the Portuguese ceramics and glassware industry. The core offering includes the bimonthly Revista Kéramica magazine covering industry topics like decarbonization and digitalization. Additional publications include technical manuals for ceramic applications (wall coverings, roof tiles, brick masonry), catalogues promoting Portuguese products internationally (The Art of Possibility series), statistical reports (A Cerâmica Portuguesa em Números, A Cristalaria Portuguesa em Números), sustainability guides, and social responsibility manuals. The association also provides a Services Brochure detailing member support in management, legal, energy, and training areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kéramica: A bimonthly magazine dedicated to the valorization, competitiveness, and international projection of the ceramic and glass sector, published by APICER

Products and services

• Revista Kéramica

Named customers42 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• CIP - Confederacao Empresarial de PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPICER is institutionally represented in CIP, the Portuguese Business Confederation, to advocate for the ceramics and glassware industry interests at the national business policy level.
• AEP - Associacao Empresarial de PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional representation in the Portuguese Business Association for industry interests and policy advocacy.
• CPCI - Confederacao Portuguesa da Construcao e do ImobiliariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresentation in the Portuguese Construction and Real Estate Confederation, aligning ceramics industry with construction sector interests.
• CTCV - Centro Tecnologico da Ceramica e do VidrocoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership with the Technology Center for Ceramics and Glass for R&D support, technical expertise, energy consulting, and innovation services for member companies.
• CENCAL - Centro de Formacao Profissional para a Industria CeramicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for professional training and workforce development specifically for the ceramic industry.
• CEDINTEC - Centro para Desenvolvimento e Inovacao TecnologicossecondaryTechnology or IntegrationTechnology development and innovation center partnership for industry advancement.
• CERTIF - Associacao para a Certificacao de ProdutossecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct certification partnership to support member companies in obtaining quality certifications.
• APCER - Associacao Portuguesa de CertificacaosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese Certification Association for industry standards and certification support.
• Associacao Plataforma para a Construcao SustentavelsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Sustainable Construction Platform for ESG and sustainability initiatives.
• Cerame-Unie - The European Ceramic Industry AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational membership in the European Ceramic Industry Association for access to EU policy information, regulatory updates, and coordinated industry advocacy at the European level.
• TBE - Tiles & Bricks EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in the European tiles and bricks federation for sector-specific European policy representation.
• CET - European Ceramic Tile Manufacturers FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean federation membership for ceramic tile manufacturers' interests at EU level.
• FECS - European Sanitaryware Producers FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in European sanitaryware federation for specialized sector representation.
• FEPF - European Federation of Ceramic Table- and OrnamentalwarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean federation for tableware and ornamental ceramics manufacturers' interests.
• SINTICAVS - Sindicato dos Trabalhadores das Industrias de Cerâmica, Vidro, Refractários, Cerâmica de Laboratório, Materiais de Construção e AfinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective bargaining agreement partner for labor relations and collective work contract negotiations.
• FETESE - Federação dos sindicatos da indústria e serviçossecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union federation involved in sector collective agreements.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• NF Verre (Fédération des Industries du Verre): French glass industry federation representing French glass manufacturers. Comparable as a national glass trade body paralleling APICER's cristalaria membership, but serving the French market rather than Portuguese members.
• Tile Council of North America (TCNA): North American trade association for ceramic tile manufacturers and suppliers. Comparable in trade-association function and ceramic tile focus, but operating in a different geographic market from APICER's primarily European footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Glass Alliance Europe: European-level federation representing the European glass industry across all subsectors. Comparable as a broader industry-wide coordination body that overlaps with APICER's cristalaria mandate and operates at the EU policy tier APICER accesses via its own federation memberships.

Direct peers

• Confindustria Ceramica: Italian national trade association representing the Italian ceramics industry, including tiles, sanitaryware, and tableware manufacturers. Comparable in scope to APICER and a co-member of Cerame-Unie and related European federations.
• British Glass: UK trade association representing the British glass industry across container, flat, and specialty glass. Directly comparable as the glassware/cristalaria counterpart to APICER's ceramic-side membership.
• ASCER (Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Azulejos y Pavimentos Cerámicos): Spanish national trade association for ceramic tile manufacturers. Directly comparable as the Iberian counterpart to APICER, serving the same ceramic floor/wall tile subsector with similar advocacy, training, and international promotion mandates.
• FEVE (Fédération Européenne du Verre d'Emballage): European container glass federation representing container glass manufacturers across Europe. Comparable to APICER's glassware membership and EU-level advocacy function for a closely adjacent glass subsector.

Others

• AICEP Portugal Global: Portuguese government's trade and investment agency. Comparable as a Portugal-headquartered entity that supports internationalization of Portuguese industry, paralleling APICER's export-promotion mandate for ceramics and glassware.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apicer---associa%C3%A7%C3%A3o-portuguesa-das-ind%C3%BAstrias-de-cer%C3%A2mica-e-de-cristalaria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about APICER - Associação Portuguesa das Indústrias de Cerâmica e de Cristalaria