With a sold-out exhibit floor and packed technical sessions, the RadTech biennial conference and exhibition met in mid-May in Orlando, Florida. 

Results from a live poll at the American Coatings Conference show that sustainability has become more important to coatings manufacturers, and raw material sourcing/pricing is still a big concern. The importance of functional/smart coatings and UV/EB coatings saw a bump this year as well.

Wacker Chemical Corp. (WACKER) recently held a grand opening of its new Innovation Center and Regional Headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

AERO Sustainable Material Technology recently announced that the FUSE Automotive Coloring System, known as the Ultra-Wide TOM Machine, won a grand prize at the 2021 Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards from the Asian news magazine Nikkei Asia. 

Relement B.V., a technology company focused on renewable chemistry, has selected Solvay Research & Innovation Centre (Solvay R&IC), with the help of Dutch impact investor Invest-NL, to carry out process optimization work. 

AkzoNobel and Microsoft have teamed up to explore how quantum computing could help fast track the development of high-performance and more sustainable paints and coatings. 

LyondellBasell has entered into a multi-year agreement with Citrine Informatics to utilize the Citrine Platform for Materials Informatics and artificial intelligence (AI)-guided product development.

Less than 24 hours after winning Paint the Future awards, three startups have already signed their letters of intent to continue working together on sustainable business opportunities with AkzoNobel. 

PPG has opened its new European Central Powder Coatings Research and Development (R&D) Center in Milan, Italy. 

AkzoNobel has opened a new £10 million global research and development center at its Slough site in the UK.