EDITOR’S LETTER
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T
hree months have already passed since the start of 2021, a year that was as eagerly awaited as it was able to disappoint our rosy expectations of the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. If I had to make an initial assessment of what I have perceived and what air I have breathed in the world of surfaces in this first quarter, I would certainly not use the word crisis, at least not in the economic sense of the word. I have seen many dynamic companies, with a lot of work or with good prospects for recovery. I have breathed an air of confidence and industriousness, as well as a will to align with the demands of a market that has completely changed over the last twelve months. One of the trends that has certainly exploded is the individualisation of products, an approach that goes even beyond personalisation. We have already talked about this on ipcm®: what, if not the surfaces of objects, lends itself to extreme personalisation? On the other hand, there is another aspect that has started to heavily affect industrial production: the consumers’ inability to wait for products. The pandemic has introduced this new element of differentiation in the market: having one’s own products always available and immediately deliverable – an approach that is ill-suited to industrial manufacturing times, which cannot be reduced below a certain limit, but that has also led to an erratic use of the world’s logistical resources. The ipcm® March issue has many focusses. It covers a variety of topics and applications spanning several manufacturing fields, from pumps to cosmetic packaging, from road maintenance machines to boilers. It also includes a comprehensive supplement devoted to the coating of architectural profiles and design objects, with a wealth of innovations especially in the powder coating sector. The common thread linking this variety of topics is the companies’ quest to meet this twofold market need through technological innovation that generates efficiency even with highly customised production and finishing processes, which typically do so less. In this first quarter of 2021, however, despite such industrial dynamism carrying with it the seeds of recovery, the international economic scenario has introduced a third, negative element that risks holding back the upturn of the industry: the scarcity of raw materials. Steel and plastic are in short supply, aluminium has reached unsustainable costs and delivery times, and pigments (including titanium dioxide) and paint resins are scarce. In addition, there are unprecedented logistical issues, which are further increasing costs. The huge problems of maritime trade, for example, are causing severe supply delays, instability, and the inability to plan production over the long term – as I write this, one of the world’s largest container ships has just run aground in the Suez Canal, which alone hosts 12% of the world’s maritime traffic. It matters little whether these problems are caused by international speculation, “force majeure” (such as the closure of production facilities due to Covid-19), or global logistical frenzy. What can companies do to deal with a situation that is certainly cyclical but that, at this sensitive time, risks jeopardising economic recovery? Optimising internal processes, seeking efficiency in other areas of production, searching for new sources of raw materials. In the long term, the solution will be to rebuild a strong European chemical and metallurgical industry, but also to stop relocating production to China while creating new factories, perhaps with a smaller capacity, in Europe. Finally, let us make conscious digital purchases next time, without craving 24-hour delivery.
Alessia Venturi Editor-in-chief Direttore Responsabile
international PAINT&COATING magazine - MARCH/APRIL 2021 - N. 68
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