Emerging Technologies and Applications: Advanced Coatings
How advanced coatings technologies are supporting EV batteries, renewable energy and high-performance infrastructure.
Need to Know
- Advanced coatings are supporting electrification, renewable energy and infrastructure expansion.
- Demand is driven by durability, energy efficiency and regulatory pressure.
- EV batteries and wind turbines represent major high-growth application areas.
- Sustainability requirements are accelerating reformulation and innovation.
The demand for advanced coatings is accelerating across growing industries such as electric vehicle (EV) batteries, aerospace, wind energy, oil and gas, data centers and construction. As products are pushed to perform in harsher environments while meeting stricter efficiency and sustainability requirements, coatings are emerging as a critical enabler of reliability and performance.
Advanced coatings may improve manufacturability, extend lifetimes, reduce maintenance requirements and facilitate higher performance. With industrialization continuing in emerging economies and electrification reshaping mature ones, the advanced coatings market is positioned for significant long-term growth.
Advanced coatings are found across a multitude of industries and growing markets. The advanced coatings market for EV batteries is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2026-2036. Source: IDTechEx.
What Is an “Advanced Coating”?
A coating is a material applied to the surface of an object. Coatings typically possess one or more of the following functions: to enhance appearance, to improve performance or to provide protection. IDTechEx defines advanced coatings as an emerging coating material or technology, or as an emerging application of an existing technology.
Advanced coatings have a range of functionalities, including fire protection, EMI shielding, corrosion protection, dielectric insulation and thermal conductivity, to name a few. Several advanced coatings are multifunctional, for example, providing both dielectric insulation and protection from corrosion, moisture and chemicals.
What Is Driving the Advanced Coatings Market?
Several converging trends underpin demand for advanced coatings. Growth in industries such as electric vehicles, aerospace, offshore wind and electronics is creating demand alongside high-performance requirements for advanced coatings. For example, aerospace coatings must remain lightweight while resisting UV exposure, abrasion and extreme temperatures, while offshore wind installations demand durable anti-corrosion protection as they face relentless salt spray in highly corrosive environments.
Energy efficiency is another critical driver. IR-reflective coatings can reduce cooling costs in construction and transport, while thermally conductive coatings could enhance thermal management in EVs and data centers.
Product life cycle considerations are also reshaping expectations. OEMs and regulators are increasingly prioritizing durability and reduced maintenance cycles, a demand that coatings are well positioned to address if they can provide longer-lasting protection. Meanwhile, technological advances are enabling new coating applications, such as temperature-dependent reflectivity coatings for polytunnels.
Infrastructure expansion in emerging economies adds further growth momentum. Sustainability pressures to replace PFAS, reduce VOC content and remove other harmful substances present a challenge to coatings manufacturers, which is likely to result in the launch of new, safer products.
What Are Some of the Key Applications of Advanced Coatings?
Applications span a wide range of industries. In EV batteries, advanced coatings could help protect battery cells and packs through dielectric insulation, thermal management, fire protection and corrosion protection. IDTechEx forecasts the advanced coatings for the EV battery market to grow from US$1.1 billion in 2026 to US$2.8 billion in 2036.
Wind turbines represent another growing market, with anti-corrosion coatings in this application projected to grow at a 6.8% CAGR between 2026 and 2036. This reflects the push toward more renewable energy through larger turbines and increasing numbers of wind projects.
Meanwhile, aerospace demands coatings that balance lightweight design with resistance to extreme heat and UV exposure. In May 2025, PPG announced an investment of US$380 million to build a new aerospace coatings and sealants manufacturing facility in North Carolina, reflecting commercial momentum in this area.
Oil and gas continues to rely on protective systems that extend infrastructure lifetimes under harsh conditions. In 2025, Sherwin-Williams and Hempel were among many leading players that launched advanced coatings solutions to address corrosion under insulation. In construction, IR-reflective coatings are gaining importance for reducing energy consumption in buildings.
Assessment of Advanced Coatings
Advanced coatings are increasingly becoming a fundamental requirement across industries, enabling safety, durability, efficiency and sustainability. From thermal management in EV batteries to anti-corrosion protection in offshore wind and fire protection in data centers, these coatings address urgent performance needs while opening pathways for disruptive innovation.
The market report “Advanced Coatings 2026-2036: Market, Technologies, Players” by IDTechEx provides an independent assessment of this market. IDTechEx has an extensive history in the field of advanced materials, and its technical analysts provide independent outlooks, technology comparisons and player analysis on the advanced coatings industry.
For more information on this report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/AdvancedCoatings, or for the full portfolio of research available from IDTechEx, see www.IDTechEx.com.
Rapid innovation in industrial coatings is reshaping performance standards across electrification and renewable energy markets.