Cost options for a piece of commissioned brickwork facade include: installed cost, cost in use and environmental cost. The Brick Development Association has commissioned the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors to investigate the installed cost of brickwork and other external finishes.

European companies need to compete more aggresively in an expanding global ceramic manufacturing industry. ABB Robotics, in collaboration with Italian engineering consultancy EMC has developed a robotic application for the tile industry that removes the manual element of cutting and assembly of mosaic squares in tiles, providing one solution that streamlines and automates manufacturing in the ceramic sector.

Ceramic manufacturers are paying more attention to elements of production, namely the area around the kiln, that drain energy. Dyson Thermal Technologies have worked for five years to create Dylite, a cordierite alumina/silica/magnesia material that is half the weight of standard cordierite. This process reduces energy consumption leading to fuel savings and faster firing cycles increase kiln speed leading to greater throughput.