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Hear From Dr. Stefan C. Wieditz Of The Sherwin-Williams Company

Ahead of the highly-anticipated co-located Pigment & Colour Science Forum and TiO2 World Summit, we spoke to confirmed speaker,  Dr. Stefan C. Wieditz, R&D Director, Strategic Color Initiatives of the Sherwin-Williams Company.

You are going to be talking about future paint trends and how they impact on the pigment sector–why is this an important topic for the audience?

About 50% of the Pigment Industry’s products, ranging from high volume commodities to highly customized specialties, are supplied to the Paint and Coatings Industry, thus making it a very important customer. Being prepared for changes and new opportunities is the basis for future growth and competitiveness and potential new cooperation.

What are the biggest challenges facing the industry right now and how to do you think this conference can address them?

The increasing number of players competing in a globalised market, increasing sustainability and raw material sourcing issues, and the question of how to differentiate with products beyond commodities. The conference offers a forum to get all players in the value chain on the same page to discuss integrated solutions.

What do you see as the most significant changes coming up in the pigment sector in the next 12-24 months?

Further widening of the gap between commodities and specialty applications, further narrowing of the quality gap between established and new players in the emerging markets and increasing pressure to innovate in order to cope with increasing environmental and sustainability demands. Global pigment manufacturers will continue to re-adopt the backward integration strategy to reduce their dependence on raw material suppliers.

What are you most looking for to about attending the co-located Pigment and Colour Science Forum and TiO2 World Summit?

Events like this offer the opportunity to exchange information at a level of intensity difficult to manage on a day to day basis. Re-connecting on a personal level with contacts and establishing new ones is an important benefit.