Over the next decade, abrasives will shift from “consumables” to “engineered technical materials.”

Over the past two months, a series of industry forecasts on the abrasives market have been released. Many readers may have already noticed: regardless of the source, the data consistently indicates one shared trend—the abrasive industry is entering a more long-term and structurally transformative cycle.

This time, rather than discussing growth drivers from the conventional angles of “market size” or “CAGR,” we’re changing the perspective:

Where is the European abrasive industry evolving? Why is it changing? And how will this reshape the global supply chain over the next decade?

Recently, FMI’s report offered several signals worth deeper examination.

1. Why is everyone watching Europe?

Because its industrial upgrade is already forcing changes across the abrasive ecosystem.

Many people describe the European market as “mature” or “stable,” but what has truly become noteworthy in recent years is that its industrial structure is rapidly moving in two directions:

toward higher precision (aerospace, semiconductor-grade manufacturing)

toward greener standards (low-emission, recyclable, environmentally safe bonding systems)

These two directions demand completely different abrasive characteristics — yet they’re both growing.

This means that although Europe’s overall growth rate may not be the fastest, the shift in demand structure is redefining product standards.

For example:

Spain and France are expanding aerospace precision-component machining capacity;

In the wave of vehicle electrification, large volumes of lightweight aluminum and composite parts require abrasives with greater heat resistance and removal efficiency;

European environmental regulations are forcing companies to adopt low-emission, long-life, recyclable abrasive systems.

In short: Europe may not grow the fastest, but it is becoming the global origin of new abrasive standards.

2. The era of synthetic abrasives is truly arriving:

No longer a “replacement”—but the foundation.

FMI predicts that in 2025, synthetic abrasives and related products will account for 65% of the market.

This includes:

wafer-level polishing and micro-finishing;

precision components in EV power systems;

aerospace surface conditioning;

consistent-efficiency grinding in automated production lines.

The trend is especially prominent in Europe—traditional natural abrasives are rapidly losing their presence in high-end manufacturing.

Even more critical: synthetic abrasives have evolved from being “high-performance” to being engineerable materials.

“Engineered” means:

controllable grain microstructure;

more reliable thermal resistance;

compatibility with robots, CNC platforms, robotic arms;

stronger repeatability and longer service life.

For European manufacturing—where consistency and traceability are fundamental—this is the real key.

3. Why are bonded abrasives resurging?

The answer lies in automation.

FMI data indicates that in 2025, bonded abrasives will account for 48.5% of the market.

Some may ask: bonded wheels have been around forever—why the renewed growth?

The reason is simple: automated grinding systems are exploding.

robotic grinding

robotic deburring

CNC grinding

automated precision finishing of powertrain components

These systems fear one thing most: inconsistency.

Bonded grinding wheels—known for durability, material-removal stability, and predictability—fit automation perfectly.

Especially in Europe:

EV housings, lightweight chassis components, aerospace structural pre-finishing—these all depend on highly reliable bonded wheels.

You will notice—bonded abrasive growth isn’t coming from traditional markets—it’s automation pushing it into a new cycle.

4. Electronics as an “absorptive demand sector”:

It’s not just growing—its consumption is massive.

FMI predicts that in 2025, electronics will account for 33.4% of abrasive consumption, remaining the largest end-use sector.

The key is not just the proportion—it’s that electronics are continuously absorbing more machining capacity.

thinner wafers → higher-precision micro-finishing

more complex chip structures → rising deburring difficulty

more sensitive high-frequency devices → tighter surface requirements

constant product iteration → sustained manufacturing expansion

In other words, this sector is not only large—it is always upgrading.

More importantly, this supply chain is highly globalized:

R&D in Europe and the U.S.

Japan as a critical supplier

China & Southeast Asia as manufacturing centers

This means the abrasive supply system must upgrade globally and in synchronization.

5. Global regional differences are widening:

APAC is expanding capacity, Europe/US are raising technical standards, and the Middle East is emerging.

The report’s regional perspective is refreshingly practical:

APAC: fastest growth (India +6.4%, China +4.8%), driven by automotive, electronics, infrastructure, smart factories. Growth here is essentially capacity expansion.

Europe: stable volume, fast structural upgrading— aerospace, EVs, precision machining— these are high-barrier sectors. Europe isn’t trying to get “bigger,” but to get sharper.

US: high-end manufacturing driving rigid demand. Defense, semiconductors, aerospace—these are strategy-level markets, not cyclical ones.

Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030 is drawing industrial supply chains inward. Metal processing, infrastructure, manufacturing capacity—growth is rapid and aggressive. This is a classic high-momentum emerging market.

Viewed globally, over the next decade, the abrasive market is essentially three parallel lanes:

APAC → the production-capacity center

Europe/U.S. → the standards & advanced-demand center

Middle East → fast-rising demand center

6. The keyword of the decade is not “growth,”

but re-architecture.

The core message from FMI is not “the market will reach USD 85.2 billion,” but the structural shifts:

automation makes engineered abrasives standard equipment;

environmental regulations are forcing a transformation of bonding systems;

super-abrasives are migrating from ultra-high-end applications to mid-range manufacturing;

intelligent manufacturing makes “long life + stability” far more valuable than low cost.

You’ll notice—the industry is becoming less like traditional “consumables,” and more like technical engineered materials.

Future competition in abrasives won’t be about “who is cheaper,” but:

who can integrate with robotic production;

who meets carbon-emission standards;

who delivers micro-finishing stability at micron level;

who maintains endurance under high-speed, high-temperature loads;

This is a complete reconstruction of standards.