Each spring, the Detroit Society for Coatings Technology (DSCT) hosts its annual FOCUS (Future of Coatings Under Study) Conference in the Detroit area to showcase advancements in coatings, color development, sustainability and application in the automotive industry. FOCUS is unique in that it is attended by raw material and equipment suppliers, coatings manufacturers, as well as the OEMs like Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Toyota. The perspectives and presentations from these downstream coatings users is always super interesting for me, and I’m sure very valuable to the coatings manufacturers and their suppliers. 

This year’s event was a special one, as the DSCT is celebrating its 50^th anniversary. To recognize this milestone, the theme of the afternoon panel discussion centered on the coatings innovations that were developed over the last 50 years, as well as what the future industry needs and challenges are. The panelists included Mark Nichols from Ford, Sarah Hodapp from General Motors, Jack Burgman from PPG, and Michael Koerner, retired Axalta fellow. The discussion was moderated by Jon Lawniczak from Sagus Consulting.

The Last 50 Years 

The panelists noted that the driving forces in automotive coatings innovation between 1975 and 2025 were appearance, environmental regulations, durability, acid rain and scratch resistance, as well as new discoveries resulting from unintended consequences due to formulating mistakes. 

Major innovations over the past 50 years included electrodeposition (E-coat) technology (1970s), the shift to basecoat/clearcoat (1970s-1980s), multi-substrates/lightweighting (1970s-1980s), VOC reduction (1980s-1990s), compact processes/footprint reduction (2010s), and formulation component evolution (1970s-2025). 

Future Innovation Needs and Challenges

The panelists also discussed what’s coming next. They identified challenges facing the automotive coatings industry in the next 50 years (2026-2076) include the following:

• Energy consumption
• Supply chain and raw material costs
• Stringent environmental regulations
• Removing materials of concern
• Mixed metals corrosion
• Cost vs. performance for mass market
• Application complexity and labor shortages

And the next 50 years of innovations include:

• Low-temperature curing
• Structural colors
• Self-healing and functional nanocoatings
• Autonomous vehicle (AV)-compatible coatings
• Overspray-free coatings (high transfer efficiency)
• Recyclable/reusable coatings
• Smart/active coatings
• Paint replacement technologies
• AI-driven R&D 

An additional FOCUS highlight for me this year was the keynote speaker, Detroit’s one and only John McElroy, an influential thought leader in the automotive industry. A journalist, lecturer, commentator and entrepreneur, McElroy created “Autoline Daily,” the first automotive industry webcast of industry news and analysis. He is also the host of the Emmy Award-winning weekly television program “Autoline This Week,” and broadcasts radio segments on Detroit’s WWJ Newsradio 950, which is where I have listened to his unique voice and extensive knowledge of the automotive industry for the past 40 years.

McElroy discussed the many challenges facing the automotive industry today, specifically the lack of industry growth. His presentation wrapped up with the following conclusions, and while these takeaways were specific to the automotive industry, it seems that the same five principles could apply to the coatings industry as well. 

1. Market share is more critical than ever.
2. Automakers need compelling new products and services – and coatings can make a real difference.
3. There is nothing wrong in this business that can’t be fixed with a great product.
4. The key to a great product is really getting in to your customer’s head.
5. Speed is of the essence. You can always hire more people. You can always raise more money. But once a minute is gone, it is gone forever. 

As always, the FOCUS Conference was a great learning and networking experience. Many thanks to the DSCT, and congratulations on 50 years of excellent service to the coatings industry!