Since 2024, Arkema Coating Solutions has been working closely with major players across the entire coatings value chain, adopting a new approach to innovation, one that is more open and transparent, and more rapid and effective in addressing the major challenges of sustainability and decarbonization. reaking down silos to accelerate decarbonization: it could have been a good slogan for the Paint of Tomorrow research program, jointly led by Arkema Coating Solutions, AkzoNobel and Omya in 2025. The program combined each partner’s expertise in an open and transparent process to accelerate the development of low- carbon solutions in the decorative paints sector. Take Arkema’s bio-based or bio-attributed resins, Omya’s recycled minerals and opacifiers, and AkzoNobel’s formulation expertise; add automated laboratories, AI-assisted design and a healthy dose of collective intelligence... In just six months, you get a range of interior paint formulations with a 30%(1) lower carbon footprint compared to current standards, without compromising on performance or aesthetics, and with no additional cost to the consumer in the long run. “This three- party innovation program arose from a shared observation,” says Julie Haevermans, Vice President Marketing at Coating Solutions. “In the coatings market, the premium positioning of the most sustainable products is a barrier to their widespread adoption. Future solutions must be environmentally sound, high-performance, available at scale and affordable.” Fulfilling these criteria requires all parties to break out of their silos and lay all cards on the table to jointly mobilize the entire value chain. The Paint of Tomorrow R&D program proved that this was possible. Also in 2025, a similar program was implemented by AkzoNobel, Arkema and BASF in architectural coatings. This led to the development of a new line of highly durable coatings with a 40% reduction in carbon footprint,(2) which AkzoNobel began marketing in 2025 under the Interpon D brand. This represents a significant reduction in the carbon footprint, achieved through a combination of the use of powder resins manufactured by Arkema from bio-based raw materials supplied by BASF, and the use of supplier-specific carbon footprint data rather than industry-average figures, reflecting optimized production processes and the use of renewable electricity. ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES Coating Solutions is now promoting this type of collaborative development in its high-growth application markets, which demand a faster pace of innovation. “This is the case in the world of electric vehicle batteries, where there is a remarkable shift in the performance requirements for protective coatings,” says Julie Haevermans. Here too, Arkema partnered in 2025 with recognized players in the battery and automotive value chains, such as paint manufacturer PPG. “New coatings must deliver features such as electrical insulation, thermal management and flame retardancy while optimizing the carbon footprint of module production and assembly processes—something enabled by UV curing application technologies, for example,” explains Thierry Destruhaut, Director of Automotive Sustainability at PPG. “Collaborative development efforts are now absolutely essential to deliver solutions more quickly to this constantly evolving industry.” FOCUS B (1) Cradle-to-grave calculation, including biogenic carbon sequestration, in accordance with ISO 14040, 14044, and 14067 standards. (2) Compared to the previous carbon footprint calculated for these products. Calculated according to ISO 14067 and the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) methodology from the Together for Sustainability (TfS) guidelines on the cradle-to-gate cycle, factoring in biogenic carbon sequestration (approximately 5%), and compared to industry average data from the CEPE V4 database for polyester resins (up to 35%). 24 ↪ S USTA IN A B L E IN N OVAT I O N THE COATINGS INDUSTRY IS ACCELERATING ITS TRANSITION TO A LOW-CARBON FUTURE!
