COVENTRY, UK — At a launch event in the House of Lords, representatives from the surface engineering and coatings sectors met with parliamentarians, academics and Lords to recognize the importance of the sector in driving manufacturing growth in the post-Brexit UK. Lord Whitby, President of the Surface Engineering Association, hosted the event. The sector has ambitious plans to grow to £25 billion by 2025, and in turn create over 50,000 new jobs in British manufacturing.

British Coatings Federation (BCF) members present at the event included AkzoNobel, BASF, Fujichem Sonneborn, Indestructible Paint, Jotun Paints, Paint Services Group and Schloetter Co.

The BCF is one of six associations and professional bodies behind the initiative and will continue to support the important work of the leadership forum to stimulate an increase in apprenticeships, to ensure the sector maximizes its relationships with academia to deliver innovation, and to embrace digital manufacturing.

 “Our goal is to promote to government and wider stakeholders the importance and economic potential and impact of surface engineering, advanced coatings and materials finishing,” said Tom Bowtell, CEO of the BCF at the launch event.  The sector is estimated to be worth £11 billion to the UK economy today, with an indirect impact on £140 billion of GDP.