THE EUROPEAN LEAD-ACID-BATTERY INDUSTRY

The European lead/acid battery industry is examined from a general perspective that covers wider economic, industrial and technical issues. It would appear that the upheavals witnessed in Eastern Europe two years ago together with the more recent political and monetary events throw two points into sharp relief. first, the merely relative value of general speeches, that are liable to sound technocratic and out of touch with the realities of the world; second, the need for an industrialist to be able to stand back and view things from a distance. Given this background, the review is divided into four parts, namely: (i) general remarks about Europe; (ii) the wider context of the lead/acid battery industry; (iii) changes in demand; (iv) structural changes in market supply. Finally, a number of observations are made about the key issues that will prove decisive for the future of battery manufacturers in Europe within the context of a rapidly changing environment.