The 2027 CoatingsTech Conference offers industry experts — including coatings manufacturers, their suppliers, universities, and government representatives —  a forum to share new research and pursue continuing education and skills development. Technology-focused sessions will be categorized to provide attendees with an opportunity to focus on individual interests and specializations.

Notably, the CoatingsTech Best Paper Award will be presented for the best overall paper contributed to the conference, and the award winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize. Student Poster Awards will be given for the top three student posters presented at the CoatingsTech Conference.

NOTE: Those submitting abstracts for consideration should know that, if accepted, they will be expected to provide a full paper (or poster, if selected for a poster session), register for the conference, provide slides and a headshot, and contribute an in-person presentation/poster for the conference.

Paper and Poster Topics

In keeping with the theme, papers and posters on the following topics are being sought:

• Advances in Analytical Methods & Technology
• AI Methodologies for Formulation Optimization and Coating Testing
• Application/Manufacturing/Processing Equipment
• Architectural Coatings
• Biocidal Control (e.g., preservation, surface protection, antifouling)
• Functional Coatings
• Industrial and Factory-Applied Coatings
• Inks and Coatings technology for Battery Manufacturing and Other New Energy Applications
• Nanotechnology
• Packaging Coatings
• Pigments & Dispersants
• Powder Coatings
• Protective and Infrastructure Coatings
• Radiation-cured Coatings
• Reformulating to address Health, Safety and Environmental Concerns
• Renewable/Bio-based Coatings
• Waterborne Coatings
• Weathering, Corrosion Control, Durability and Service-Life Prediction
• Wood Coatings

Abstract submission guidelines and additional pertinent information, including other key deadlines, may be found at .

The American Coatings Association (�ԹϺ�����) is a voluntary, nonprofit trade association working to advance the needs of the paint and coatings industry and the professionals who work in it, including: manufacturers, raw materials suppliers, distributors, and technical professionals. �ԹϺ����� serves as an advocate and ally for members on legislative, regulatory and judicial issues, and provides forums for the advancement and promotion of the industry and coatings science.

Sheboygan Paint Company has appointed Amy Wirtz as chief financial officer. Wirtz holds a Master of Business Administration Degree from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accountancy from University of Wisconsin – LaCrosse.

The ChemQuest Group has appointed Robert Lovegrove as CEO. Lovegrove joins ChemQuest after 13 years at Milliken & Company, where he served as vice president of Corporate Strategy/Corporate Development for the last 10 years. Lovegrove has also held leadership roles with Eastman Chemical Company and BFGoodrich. As Lovegrove steps into the role of CEO, Daniel Murad will remain involved with ChemQuest as chairman.

In addition, Cheng-Le Zhao has joined the ChemQuest Group as vice president with over 35 years of experience in global research, technology, innovation, and business leadership in specialty chemicals. He previously worked at BASF as regional head of Technology & Development for Asia Pacific, director of Technology for BASF’s Dispersions & Pigments Division in North America, R&D manager for BASF Polyurethanes, and senior technical manager for Product Development. Zhao holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry of polymer materials from the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France, and Bachelor of Science Degree from East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai, China.

Gemini Industries, Inc. has announced the appointment of Marc Jacomet as the Director of UV Innovation & Commercial Development. According to the company, Jacomet will oversee the technical development and early commercialization of new UV-curable technology initiatives while working to evaluate and develop new market opportunities.

“This expansion is a reflection of the relationships we’ve built with our customers,” said Debora Hense-Hric, technical director. “As their needs have evolved, we’ve applied our technical expertise to their coatings’ formulation needs. The added facility helps us continue supporting them in the ways they’ve come to expect.”

According to the company, the newly acquired space allows Stonebridge to enhance operational efficiency, increase capacity, and further develop its growing capabilities in custom coatings manufacturing.

“Lubrizol introduced CPVC technology to India more than two decades ago, and since then, we have witnessed strong growth of the market alongside the country’s expanding economy,” said Abhishek Shrivastav, managing director, Lubrizol IMEA. “With the commissioning of this world-class facility in Vilayat, we are strengthening our manufacturing capabilities in India by following a local-for-local approach. This investment underscores our long-term commitment to India by enabling consistent access to high-quality, locally produced materials backed by Lubrizol’s global standards of innovation, reliability, and performance.”

According to APC, the company is implementing Albert’s AI-native operating system for chemistry and materials science to centralize experimental data, capture institutional knowledge, and enable more efficient collaboration across research teams. As the company continues to expand its footprint, the investment supports a more connected and scalable innovation environment.

“Innovation in polymer coatings is driven by the quality of our scientific insight. As our research programs expand, having a structured platform to capture and analyze experimental knowledge allows our team to move faster, build on prior work, and continue advancing the performance of next-generation coating technologies,” said Jeremy Pasatta, vice president of Technology and Process, Advanced Polymer Coatings. “Using Albert’s AI capabilities, we’ve been able to cut development time in half—screening out unnecessary experiments and reaching optimized formulations much faster.”

“Innovative companies like APC demonstrate how structured scientific data and AI-driven tools can transform R&D by empowering scientists with tools that connect experimentation and insight. Organizations can accelerate innovation while leveraging knowledge to drive long-term competitive advantage,” said Nick Talken, CEO, Albert Invent.

According to the company, Brazil, and the wider Latin American region, represent attractive growth markets, particularly in segments such as food, beverage, and consumer packaging.

“Ensuring continuity for our customers is our highest priority,” said Saul Rios, managing director LATAM at Stahl. “By maintaining supply and service from the outset, we provide a seamless transition while building a strong foundation for future growth.”

The acquisition is expected to be completed in the upcoming weeks, subject to regulatory approvals.

“Karlovy Vary is an important pillar for our silicone activities in Europe and a central building block in our specialties strategy,” said WACKER executive board member Christian Kirsten at the opening ceremony. “With the new site, we are expanding our position as a solution provider for customers in key industries.”

According to the company, Karlovy Vary will be responsible for supplying customers of silicone specialties going forward. In the future, liquid silicone rubber will be manufactured in Burghausen, while thermally conductive silicones, potting compounds for the automotive industry and silicone gels for wound care will be produced in Plzeň. Room-temperature-curing silicones and solid silicone rubber will be located in Karlovy Vary.

“Karlovy Vary will make our integrated production network in Europe much more flexible, agile and efficient,” said Kirsten. “Karlovy Vary complements our existing sites and, thanks to state-of-the-art production technology, creates the underlying conditions for extremely high levels of efficiency and quality. Going forward, this will enable us to serve our customers even better thanks to high-quality and innovative products. With Karlovy Vary, we are beginning a new chapter in our silicones’ success story.”

“Our expansion into Mexico is a natural evolution of Palmer Holland’s North American growth strategy and reinforces our commitment to being a trusted partner throughout the region,” said Tim Skufca, CEO of Palmer Holland. “By investing in people and operational capabilities, we are positioning ourselves to provide faster response times, stronger technical support, and greater supply chain continuity for our customers and supplier partners across Mexico.”

According to the company, Palmer Holland’s investment in Mexico is expected to contribute value to the local industrial community through job creation, supply chain investment, and long-term commercial partnerships. The company’s presence in Querétaro adds infrastructure and resources that can support manufacturers, suppliers, and customers operating throughout the region.

Notably, enactment of this comprehensive housing legislation was a top �ԹϺ����� advocacy priority set forth under the association’s Strategic Plan, as paint and coatings products will continue to play a vital role in both new construction and renovation efforts.

On June 23, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 358-32 for the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act just one day after the U.S. Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 85-5.

By tackling barriers such as zoning and land-use restrictions, enhancing stakeholder engagement with state and local governments to boost housing production, expanding access to guaranteed loan programs, and modernizing borrowing strategies to better reflect current construction costs, this new law takes meaningful steps toward increasing housing supply. Equally important are the provisions supporting whole-home repairs and preservation of the existing housing supply, as well as measures like those in the Build Now Act that tie community development resources to accelerated homebuilding.

�ԹϺ����� hailed this bipartisan Congressional effort to address the nation’s housing challenges through a bipartisan framework that recognizes the need for regulatory reform, expanded financing tools, and maintenance of the current housing inventory.

The scope of extrusion coatings covered by this PCR is defined as coatings that occur during “the method of manufacturing a metal part, typically aluminum or steel, using an extrusion process.”

The scope of coil coatings covered by this PCR is defined as coatings that are “applied to continuous coil of metal, typically aluminum or steel, that is unwound, cleaned, surface-treated, coated, heat-cured, and rewound in one operation.”

The new PCR for Metal Coil and Extrusion Coatings is available for free download on �ԹϺ�����’s website, /.

PCRs provide an agreed–upon framework for measuring the environmental impacts of a product based on a defined set of criteria, enabling manufacturers to conduct life-cycle assessments (LCAs) of their products in a standardized way, and publish this information in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), if they choose.

PCRs are timely and useful resources given that many sustainability guidelines and green certification programs provide preferential treatment to products with verified EPDs. Additionally, LCA results can be used to demonstrate performance attributes of products, including durability. LCA also provides paint and coating manufacturers with the opportunity to exhibit improvements in resource efficiency across the supply chain.

Notably, the PCR for Metal Coil and Extrusion Coatings specifies that the type of EPD created shall be cradle to grave, requiring the following life cycle stages: Production (A1 to A3); Construction (A4 to A5); Use (B1 to B7); and End-of-Life (C1 to C4). The life cycle stage, Benefits & Loads Beyond System Boundary (Module D), is optional. This PCR requires metal coil and extrusion coatings to be assessed as a product system, as opposed to individual coatings or layers.