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Like most industries, the Eastern Europe cable industry was hit hard by the global financial crisis after seeing impressive growth rates between 2000 and 2008. The market, however, recovered nicely to once again become one of the fastest growing global markets.

A recent study from market analysis and strategy consultant company Integer Research suggests cable output in Eastern Europe will top $7 billion US in 2012, with demand reaching $6.5 billion US.

“The main players look entirely different now compared to 10 years ago, when Siemens (News - Alert) sold off many of its operations in the region," said Integer Research Director Philip Radbourne. He said this is due to "significant investment in the region, from existing companies and new entrants."

“Tele-fonika is still by far the largest cable manufacturer in this region,” Radbourne added. “It cemented its position with the acquisition of the leading Serbian cablemaker FKZ. It has been exporting cable products from Poland into Western Europe, but more recently has focused on significant investments in EHV power cable and a new submarine power cable operation in Szczecin (Stettin) on the Baltic coast."

The top five producers in Eastern Europe in 2011 were Tele-fonika, Prysmian Group, NKT Cables, Wilms Group, Elloumi Group and Leoni, representing 45 percent of the region's output in 2011. Meanwhile, the only producers, global or regional, that currently have operations in more than one country are Prysmian Group, which operates in Hungary; Slovakia and Romania, while its subsidiary Draka Kabely operates in the Czech Republic; NKT which operates in Poland and the Czech Republic; and Wilms Group which operates in the Czech Republic and Romania.

"Leading economies such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia and more recently Romania have become intertwined with key Western European economies," said Stephen Duck, an Analyst at Integer. "This increase in investment and shifts in production into Eastern Europe has seen demand for cable increase sharply over the last decade."

The global insulated wire and cable market is expected to exceed $113.9 billion US by 20125, according to Global Industry Analysts, Inc.