During Tuesday’s plenary session of the American Coatings Conference, Sabine Bischoff, Director, European Coatings Vincentz Network, conducted a live survey of attendees on important industry trends, R&D drivers and pressing topics. Below are the questions that were asked, along with the final results.

1. Is this your first time attending the American Coatings Conference?

· It’s my first time: 59%

·  I have already attended several times: 30%

·  I have attended once: 12%

2. Which market is the most important for you?

·  North America: 88%

·  Western Europe: 7%

·  Asia/Pacific: 5%

·  Eastern Europe: 0%

·  South and Central America: 0%

·  Africa: 0%

3. What is your most pressing topic at work right now?

·  Raw Material Prices and Availability: 32%

·  Sustainability: 32%

·  Identifying New Markets: 17%

·  Fulfillment of Regulations: 3%

·  Automation/Digitization of Production Processes: 1%

4. Which of the following technologies do you judge as the most important future technologies in your industry sector?

·  Waterborne: 44%

·  Functional/Smart: 34%

·  UV/EB: 10%

·  High-Solid: 7%

·  Powder: 5%

5. What has the biggest impact on your R&D activities?

·  Customer Request: 37%

·  Sustainability: 23%

·  Raw Material Availability: 18%

·  Cost Reduction: 13%

·  Legislation and Regulation: 9%

6. Which of the following regulations is currently most important for your company?

·  VOC: 56%

·  Labeling and Hazard Communication: 24%

·  Food Contact: 14%

·  Indoor Air Quality: 6%