Where is the paint industry heading? Six developments from ECS 2025
ECS 2025 has made one thing clear: Sustainability, functionality and digitization have long been more than just trends — they are fundamentally changing how coatings are formulated and developed. At the heart of this change is material intelligence — the combination of chemistry and data to drive innovation more intelligently and faster. In this blog post, we present six developments that show how the industry is actively shaping this change.
The European Coatings Show (ECS) is much more than a trade fair — it is regarded as a barometer of the mood of an industry that is undergoing radical change. This year's edition confirmed it once again: Three topics are particularly shaping the development of the paint and coatings industry — sustainability, functionality and digital technologies. What was particularly clear: Dealing with data is changing the way coatings are developed, evaluated and optimized. The industry is moving towards what is increasingly referred to as material intelligence. We have summarized the six most important trends for you that illustrate this change — and how they are shaping a new identity in the development of paints and coatings.
Sustainability is becoming a prerequisite
Just a few years ago, sustainability was considered a distinguishing feature of individual providers. Today, it has become a basic requirement for many marketable products — this was also reflected in the ECS 2025 presentation program.
Numerous presentations focused on the question of how sustainable coatings can be formulated in the future: Bio-based raw materials such as lignin, cottonseed oil or sugar alcohols were discussed as well as VOC-reduced aqueous systems, PFAS-free additives or alternative binders. The recyclability of materials was also addressed — for example through new approaches to recycle polyurea or the use of CNSL-based polyols.
The tone of the presentations and in the four ECS halls was clear: Sustainability is no longer a downstream optimization step, but a central criterion that shapes formulation development right from the start. Digitalization can make a decisive contribution here in particular. Because anyone who wants to formulate more sustainably needs well-founded data — about raw materials, interactions, life cycles and regulatory requirements. Digital tools have the potential to make this knowledge available systematically and to use it in a targeted manner.
Function is becoming the new norm
The requirements for modern coatings go far beyond protection and appearance. Many developments are aimed at functional properties — from self-cleaning or antimicrobial surfaces to UV absorption to thermally conductive or flame retardant systems. New materials such as sol-gel coatings, core-shell nanoparticles or self-initiating resins enable solutions that were barely technically feasible in the past
What used to be a special application is increasingly becoming standard: Coatings should now actively contribute to the function of the end product — not just passively protect.
Also in a report From last year has highlighted COLOR AND VARNISHthat functional coatings are experiencing a sustained upswing worldwide. Industry experts predict that the market for functional paints will reach almost 930 million euros by 2031, as a result of increasing demand in various industries such as automotive, construction and aerospace.
Specialization replaces universality
In automotive engineering, wood surfaces, or in the construction sector — the requirements are becoming more differentiated, and with them, formulation strategies are also changing.
“The days of universal “one-fits-all” solutions are therefore over. Instead, companies are increasingly focusing on deep process understanding and developing tailor-made systems that are precisely tailored to the respective application.”
Today, the automotive industry in particular requires paints that can do more than just look good: They must be lightweight, scratch-resistant, UV-resistant and sustainable at the same time. The requirements in the construction sector are similarly specific, for example when it comes to CO₂-reduced cement systems or coatings with improved insulation properties. For wood coatings, the focus is on thixotropic, pumpable systems that enable uniform application and high process stability.
This trend is supported by digital technologies that enable faster adaptation and more flexible production. Modern formulation and simulation tools make it possible to develop new variants in a targeted manner and to optimize them specifically for individual specifications. This turns complexity into a strategic advantage — for manufacturers as well as for their customers.
The days of universal “one-fits-all” solutions are therefore over. Instead, companies are increasingly focusing on deep process understanding and developing tailor-made systems that are precisely tailored to the respective application. This applies not only to chemical composition, but also to processing, durability, regulatory requirements and sustainability goals.
Materials science remains central
Despite all the dynamism of digitization, chemistry remains the foundation of innovation — this became clear once again at ECS 2025. A variety of new material concepts showed how intensively work is being done on the development of raw materials: reactive surfactants, hybrid pigments, bio-based thinners, silicone-free defoams or new esters for UV-curable systems received attention, as did more complex binder structures and functional fillers.
The pressure to innovate is high — especially when it comes to combining sustainability, processability and performance. It is precisely here that materials science provides decisive impetus.
Exemplary presented Kuraray at ECS new polymers with ISCC PLUS certification , which were developed specifically for sustainable coatings and printing inks. ISCC PLUS is an international certification for sustainability — and is also increasingly being used in the chemical and coatings industry to verify bio-based or circular raw materials.
hubergroup Chemicals also produced UV oligomers with up to 70% bio-based carbon content, which keep up with conventional products in their performance — and are significantly more environmentally friendly. These developments continue, which was already apparent in 2024: Even then, the trade press reported on a clear trend towards functionalized and sustainable raw materials that not only meet regulatory requirements but also bring real application benefits — from improved adhesion to optimized curing.
This shows that materials science is not only the source of new recipes — it is also the key to translating key challenges such as resource conservation and regulatory safety into marketable solutions.
Regulation is becoming a source of innovation
New legal requirements such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) are increasingly acting as drivers for innovation in the paint and coatings industry. Companies no longer just have to voluntarily report on sustainability — they are required to systematically record and disclose environmental impacts, resource efficiency and recyclability.
This is shifting the focus: Sustainability is no longer just required by the market, but is also required by regulations — and has a direct impact on formulation and product development. Anyone who reports on environmental effects must also shape them.
ECS 2025 impressively showed how many manufacturers see regulatory requirements not as a restriction but as an engine of innovation. New product ideas — such as PFAS-free additives, bio-based binders or energy-efficient curing systems — arise directly between technical innovation and regulatory requirements. Test methods are also evolving to better record criteria such as durability or recyclability.
The conclusion: Today, regulation is no longer just a guideline — it is a driving force. It creates orientation, accelerates change and promotes sustainable solutions that can assert themselves on the market.
Digitalization and AI: Material Intelligence on the Rise
One of the most exciting areas of this year's ECS was the increasing role of data, artificial intelligence and digital tools in product development. Numerous contributions showed how the industry is moving away from the classic trial and error principle — towards a data-driven, forward-looking development approach. Digital formulation assistants, machine learning models for predicting optimal recipes and web-based tools for the systematic planning of test series were presented, for example. At the heart of all these developments is a new understanding of data — and with it a new concept: Material Intelligence.
Material Intelligence describes the ability to structure and link material data from different sources and processes and to gain usable insights from it. It's not just about collecting data, but preparing it in such a way that it enables well-founded decisions — faster, more precisely and repeatably.
In practice, this means that the properties of new formulations can be predicted before the first batch is mixed in the laboratory. Historical test data and performance values flow directly into the next round of optimization. And teams at different locations access a common, consistent database.
Material intelligence is thus not only changing the way recipes are created, but also knowledge management in companies. It combines chemical expertise with digital logic — and creates the basis for a new type of development: more efficient, more sustainable and more intelligent.
Conclusion: The industry is thinking anew — in all dimensions
ECS 2025 has impressively shown that the coatings industry is facing not only technological changes, but also fundamental changes in thinking and action. Sustainability, functionality and digitization are no longer isolated trends — they work together, intertwine and jointly define the future of formulation development. Whether through bio-based raw materials, functional added value or AI-based formulation strategies — requirements are increasing, but so are opportunities. The path leads away from standard solutions towards application-specific, intelligent systems that take the environment, performance and efficiency equally into account. Material intelligence is symbolic of this change: as a combination of chemical know-how and data-based decision logic. Anyone who starts combining sustainable innovations with digital tools and functional added value today is actively shaping the future of the industry — instead of just following it.