2021 - 2022 Surface Treatment and Coating Sector Assessment

Paint & Surface Magazine Features Industry Professionals' Assessment of the Surface Treatment and Coatings Sector

TÜYİDER (Turkish Association of Surface Treatment) Board Chairman - İbrahim Doğangün

Our association was established at the beginning of the pandemic period and rapidly organized to commence operations. Online meetings, training courses and seminars were conducted very effectively during the pandemic. Our association aims to bring together all institutions and organizations serving the sector, protect common interests, increase knowledge and experience sharing, seek rational solutions to common problems, and serve as an effective meeting point by developing training, testing, analysis and R&D activities in line with academic and industrial relations. In 2021, our association participated in various trade fairs (Surtech 2021, WinEurasia 2021, Railway, Viaport Marina EXPO, Eskişehir Industry Fair 2021), prepared and published its journal serving as the sector's communication platform, its website and newsletter (TÜYİDERGİ, TÜYİDER BÜLTEN, TÜYİDER.ORG). It strengthened its relations with different sectoral associations, OEMs and professional chambers, and conducted its activities most efficiently. As in the world, the surface treatment sector's growth rate in our country is quite high, dependent on metal and plastic manufacturing sectors, and during this period the sector continues its preparations for new standards and conditions. Given that nearly every product will soon require surface treatment or coating application by necessity, the need for longer-lasting and functional new surface treatments and advanced coatings will continue to increase in the face of declining raw material resources. For a clean environment and an advanced sector, an increase in R&D and innovation activities is expected. Our country has increased its exports with the pandemic process and seized the opportunity to gain a larger market share. Our association has rapidly begun work on establishing an advanced specialized organized industrial zone (TÜYİOSB) with an effective infrastructure to address the difficulties and new problems (water, energy, waste, etc.) we will face during this period. The Scientific Board of our association includes expert academics from metallurgy and materials engineering, environmental engineering, physics and chemistry engineering departments of various universities. Within the scope of this work, our association continuously receives support from these academician members who are extremely experienced in sectoral applications.

BASF Chemetall Turkey General Manager - Ebru Pilavcı Erişi

2021 was an extremely demanding year for our company. Although we had become accustomed to conducting our business during the pandemic period, its negative psychological impact on all of us became more visible. Considering that more than 50% of our sales came from the automotive sector, we were also affected by the chip crisis. We were able to adapt to sudden shutdowns at automotive companies. The main issue that characterized 2021 was supply difficulties and price increases in raw materials. The supply of many chemical products such as phosphoric acid, metal salts, surfactants and polymers became constrained. On top of all this, with the increases in exchange rates and inflation in the last quarter of the year and the beginning of an upward trend in energy costs, 2021 ended more difficult than it began. Despite all these setbacks, 2021 was a year in which we, as BASF Chemetall in Turkey, increased our sales, gained new customers and introduced new technology product groups to the sector. In recent years, each new year seems to outdo the previous one. The issues that stood out in 2021 unfortunately continue to have their effect. Due to rising costs and supply difficulties, 2022 appears to be heading for more challenging conditions than 2021. Our target this year is, as always, first and foremost to protect the health of our employees. The pandemic period has become more difficult to control with the Omicron variant. We will continue to take the necessary precautions and aim to continue our operations without any disruption. Beyond this, our goal to increase our market share remains as always, and it is the most important source of motivation for us under these difficult conditions. We will continue to focus on new technologies and new customers. Protecting our profitability under difficult market conditions will continue to be one of our main priorities.

Hillebrand Chemicals Chemical Marketing Ltd. General Manager İzzet Aydın

Looking back at last year, particularly from an automotive perspective, I can say that 2021 actually started in a promising way for the global automotive industry. When vaccines reached the market, it appeared that the worst period of the coronavirus pandemic was behind us. Market conditions changed and the economy recovered faster than experts had predicted. A sense of renewal atmosphere spread through the automotive industry. However, the atmosphere subsequently changed; reports of force majeure circumstances regarding unplanned facility breakdowns and production disruptions increased, supply of intermediate and raw materials became increasingly sluggish, distribution faced setbacks everywhere, supply chains were completely disrupted - and prices reached astronomical levels. Today, there is very little flexibility optimism among companies. Instead, uncertainty and insecurity prevail. The fact that the automotive industry is currently significantly weakened makes the situation even more difficult. Economic research institutes warn that the rapid recovery of the economy after coronavirus has had a major impact on the failed supply situation in the automotive industry. Furthermore, the automotive industry suffers from a poor image among large segments of society due to the high carbon footprint it creates. Time will tell whether the sector's efforts to advance toward a circular economy will result in a reputation transformation. 2022 will be an exciting year, and the sector looks to the future with hope despite everything.