By Dan Adams, The AIM Institute Technologists in the coatings industry work hard to bring high-value innovation to their customers. Unfortunately, many of their technical successes fail for commercial reasons. In the future, this will change. If you make coatings for other companies—or ingredients for coatings producers—your business-to-business (B2B) customers can help you eliminate most […]
Introduction The Global Market Analysis for the Paint and Coatings Industry (2019–2024) In the first quarter of 2020, the sixth edition of the Global Market Analysis for the Paint and Coatings Industry (2019–2024) will be released by the American Coatings Association (ACA), on behalf of the World Coatings Council. Prepared by its international consultant, The […]
The construction industry around the world is facing a serious labor shortage. In the United States, a mid-2018 survey of more than 2,500 construction firms conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk found that 80% were having difficulty filling craft worker/hourly positions and salaried jobs, up from 78% in January of that […]
The challenge is to determine where and how to apply technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP) and how to make the data on hand relevant to the problem or question of interest.
Specifically, ACA is interested in helping its member companies develop enhanced knowledge of the properties of the raw materials being used or considered in the product development process.
By George R. Pilcher, The ChemQuest Group, Inc. Insight into the state of the U.S. coatings industry is valuable for many—whether you are directly employed by paint and coatings companies or suppliers of specialty chemicals used within the industry; serve as an industry observer interested in correlating the health of the industry with similar enterprises […]
Collaboration is the process of working together, individually or in teams, and innovators must have good collaboration skills to drive new technology towards commercialization. It is not an easy process, but mastering a few key elements can enhance any collaborative effort in a big way.
By Victoria Scarborough, Ph.D., Materia Prima Ventures The innovation pipeline is long and must be fed continually with new ideas to sustain multi-year new product development. How do you anticipate the needs of your customers and guide future product development? Where do you look for guidance? Global megatrends represent changes in our world that have […]
By Victoria Scarborough, Ph.D., Materia Prima Ventures Coatings companies just keep getting bigger and bigger. The hierarchal nature of companies and the size of mergers creates organizational structures that effectively separate employees into silos that result in hampered communication and collaboration. Since both are the backbone of innovation, poor interdepartmental coordination can create a tortuous […]
By Cynthia Challener, CoatingsTech Contributing Writer Demand for industrial maintenance coatings, whether on a regional or global scale, generally reflects the health of the economy. Although 2018 was a good year for the sector, the market is not without challenges. Changes in environmental regulations and increasing expectations for greater sustainability and performance at lower cost continue […]
