European Coatings Podcast

Can wood coatings formulators completely eliminate solvent-borne systems without sacrificing mechanical performance or chemical resistance? In the latest episode of the European Coatings Podcast, editor Yeray López discusses the sustainable transformation of industrial wood finishes with Dr. Sven Thomsen, Head of Research & Development at German coatings manufacturer Hesse Lignal.

In this extra episode of our monthly market overview, we're joined by Alex Comanita to connect three stories: Univar Solutions' acquisition of H.M. Royal, Dow's reported consideration of an exit from its Sadara joint venture, and the growing interest in U.S. aerosol manufacturing.

What ties them together? Scarce capacity, shifting ownership, and the value of businesses that are hard to replicate.

This episode is all about the future of food packaging and functional coatings. Our guests are Jesús Palenzuela from the Spanish technology centre ITENE and Mireille Poelman, coordinator of the EU Horizon project Bio-SUSHY. Together, they shed light on the challenges involved in the transition to fibre-based monomaterials, regulatory hurdles such as the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), and the phase-out of PFAS. Find out how modern plasma and dry powder coating technologies, the 'Safe and Sustainable by Design' (SSbD) concept and computer-aided simulations are paving the way for sustainable, recyclable barrier coatings for food packaging.

What drives a seasoned R&D leader to leave a major multinational and reshape digital formulation? In the latest episode of the European Coatings Podcast, editor Yeray Lopez is joined by Nick Talken, CEO and co-founder of software provider Albert Invent, to discuss the digital evolution of laboratory environments in the coatings industry.

How will Carlyle's massive €7.7 billion acquisition of BASF's automotive and industrial coatings division reshape the global coatings landscape—and what does it mean for smaller market players? In the latest episode of the European Coatings Podcast, host Yeray Arauco sits down with private equity and M&S expert Alex Comanita to dissect the ramifications of this landmark transaction.

Why has the replacement of Cobalt driers proven to be such a persistent technical challenge for the coatings industry? In the latest episode of the European Coatings Podcast, editor Yeray Arauco speaks with Dr. Andrew Mason, R&D and technical expert at EGE Kimya, about the complex journey of phasing out Cobalt from alkyd formulations.

How has the European coatings industry navigated a year of intense macroeconomic pressure, and which companies are bucking the trend of revenue decline? In the latest episode of the European Coatings Podcast, editor Yeray Arauco is joined by Damir Gagro, editor at European Coatings, to dissect the newly released Top 25 rankings.

In the latest episode of the European Coatings Podcast, editor Yeray Arauco speaks with Tom Bowtell, CEO of the BCF, about the association's role, the current market situation and the critical issues of regulation and raw materials.

Link to the video: https://youtu.be/6LarlioQ2wA

In this episode of the European Coatings Podcast, Yeray Arauco talks to AkzoNobel experts Dr. Jitte Flapper and Job Coenen about balancing carbon footprint, durability and cost.

Dr. Jitte Flapper leads the Expertise Center Formulation & Analytical Science in AkzoNobel's R&D organisation in the Netherlands, focusing on more sustainable paints and academic collaboration. Job Coenen, Senior Program Manager Sustainability at AkzoNobel, drives the decarbonisation of the global portfolio and represents the company in international sustainability networks.

From life-cycle thinking per square metre to BREEAM and embodied carbon, the discussion explores how sustainability is measured in practice. They examine key footprint drivers such as titanium dioxide and binders, bio-based raw material limits and the rise of the mass balance approach.