Meeting the challenge of radical change: coatings R&D as we enter the 21 st century

In early 1980's, the late Dr. Marco Wismer, one of the coatings industry's more visionary members, enunciated “Six Strategic Goals for the Coatings Industry” which have never been far from our collective thoughts in the years since: 1WISMER'S SIX STRATEGIC GOALS 1. Corrosion Protection 2. Elimination of Solvents3. Conservation of Energy 4. Reduction of Toxic Wastes 5. Cost Reduction 6. Improved Durability Although stated over fifteen years ago, these six goals are more valid than ever in 2001, and it is clear that the various global coatings marketplaces, both industrial and consumer, are seeking (in some cases, struggling ) to provide positive, proactive, and economically viable realizations for each of these goals. The extent to which any given market segment is succeeding varies, of course, but these goals seem to be clear to almost everyone, almost everywhere. The challenges are many, and the solutions demand, in many cases, new‐even radical‐responses from the coatings industry. Of course the coatings industry cannot “go it alone,” and we must engage the cooperative support of both our suppliers and our customers if we are to benefit from the full spectrum of creative insight regarding potential new approaches to these goals. In this paper, I would like to offer my views regarding “where we are,” as a global industry, “where we might be able to go,” and “how we might be able to get there.”