Innovation in the coatings industry

It goes without saying that a large portion of the technology in the coatings industry is mature and not subject to revolutionary change. In an industry as large as the coatings industry, however, there is continual innovation. Often this innovation does not come from the industry itself but from related industries. These include raw materials suppliers as well as high technology aerospace and electronics industries. Indeed these two industries in particular require highly specialised types of coatings unavailable from the conventional coatings manufacturer. Many specialized coatings have been developed which command a high price but which can expect only small, specialized usage within the aerospace and electronics industry. For the most part, the coatings industry does not participate in these areas. These coatings are manufactured either by specialty companies or by the industries that need them.