IFR: 542,000 industrial robots were installed worldwide in 2024, with nearly 12% cobots. Poland recorded 2,344 new installations, down 13% y/y, remaining the largest robotics market in CEE.
Although the October ethylene price was unchanged, HDPE, LLDPE and LDPE prices are expected to fall next week. Weak market conditions and persistently low converter activity are the drivers.
MachinePoint data indicate a volatile secondary market for extrusion-blow molding machines between 2018 and 2025, with demand concentrated on select brands and machine sizes while supply remains fragmented. Regional patterns show Europe as the dominant source and persistent mismatches elsewhere.
The European plastics industry faces challenges from strict regulations, rising recycling demands, and record-high energy costs. Production is shifting outside the EU, risking dependence on imports and weakened competitiveness.
The situation on the Polish polypropylene market remains stable but difficult. Low demand and the presence of cheap imported material are limiting the ability of producers and trading companies to maintain polypropylene prices.
The first days of September brought a development that many market players did not anticipate. Instead of stability or slight increases, the market continued to feel the effects of the summer slowdown.
Research Intelo estimates the engineering plastics market at USD 119.3 billion in 2024 and projects USD 204.2 billion by 2033, a 6.7 percent CAGR. Growth is supported by automotive, electrical and construction demand and the shift to lightweight, high-performance materials.
The issues faced by European polypropylene producers may lead to a slight increase in prices in Poland in the last week of August - early September.
At the start of August 2025, as expected, producers rolled over last month’s prices, but by the middle of the first week they began offering small discounts.
In August, the contract price of propylene is expected to fall, which will automatically translate into lower polypropylene prices
The second week of July was a period of low activity on the Polish polyethylene market, especially on the part of converters. Many producers and traders do not anticipate any significant changes in the coming days.
The annual Assembly of Amaplast - Italy's national trade association representing some 170 manufacturers of machinery, equipment, and moulds for plastics and rubber processing, and member of Confindustria - was held on 24 June 2025 at Villa Borromeo in Cassano d'Adda.
