The American Coatings Association (ACA), in partnership with Vincentz Network (VN), announced that Robert Roop, Ph.D., senior vice president and chief technology officer at Axalta Coating Systems, will provide the keynote address at the 2024 American Coatings Conference. This coatings industry technology forum will take place from April 30 to May 2, 2024, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, held concurrently with the American Coatings Show (ACS).

Roop’s keynote address will explore the shift in coatings innovation focus. In the past, innovation was driven primarily by the need for improved performance (durability, cure rates, consumption, etc.) while meeting regulatory compliance. In the future, innovation will be heavily focused on improved sustainability, driven by societal demands.

Roop has served in his current role at Axalta since July 2019, and in various technology leadership roles across Axalta over the preceding 10 years. Prior to those roles he spent 20 years in technology and operations positions at DuPont in various polymer and chemical businesses. Roop holds a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University.

The 2024 American Coatings Conference will follow the theme, “Innovations in Coatings Technology: Shaping Our Future,” and feature a curated, varied program across multiple topical tracks, offering some 90 technical sessions. The American Coatings Conference brings together members of the coatings industry’s technical and scientific community with members of the academic world of coatings and their students for three days of learning and sharing the latest scientific research and advancements in coatings technology.

For more information, visit: american-coatings-show.com.