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Technology cooperations – and to some extent differentiations – are seen as being crucial to driving the Italian paint and coatings market.
September 18, 2025
By: Terry Knowles
European Correspondent
Two of Europe’s leading paint and coatings manufacturers have recently revealed how their cooperations have been advancing industry partners in Italy. These types of technology cooperations – and to some extent differentiations – are seen as being crucial to driving the Italian paint and coatings market over the next ten years to 2035, as a new market research study that focuses exclusively on the Italian paint and coatings sector reveals.
Kansai Helios has been working with Italian liquid gas (LPG) supplier Antonio Merloni on the development of a superior industrial finish for its tanks. Faced with two different challenges posed by the performance finishing of both underground and above-ground tanks, Merloni needed coatings of more than 500 μm thickness that could be achieved in a single coating. For the above-ground tanks, weather resistance was of primary importance, while underground tanks needed much greater corrosion protection.
Through co-operation with Kansai Helios’ technical team in Italy, the companies achieved a high-performing, epoxy gloss powder coating in green that achieved a coating thickness of 700 μm that satisfied the greater corrosion protection needs of the underground tanks.
In parallel, the above-ground tanks commanded a different solution, one that technical experts satisfied by pioneering a similar glossy green polyester powder coating to be applied over an epoxy layer, thereby reinforcing the weather performance attributes of the external finish.
To really drive home the complete performance solution for Merloni, both coating solutions were overcoated with standard clearcoats with a powder-on-powder approach that could ensure two extra coatings were applied in one oven cycle, translating into gains for production and energy efficiency all round. (The spray applications also involved additional co-operation with a leading – but unnamed – spray equipment supplier.)
Progressing further with their co-operation, Kansai Helios and Merloni are now working on the development of liquid coatings that can be applied to gas tanks that are complex in shape.
Meanwhile, at its headquarters in Sandefjord, Norway, Jotun has recently signed an agreement with the Italian shipowner Ignazio Messina & C for the supply of Jotun’s Hull Skating Solutions (HSS). This is something that contributes towards the maritime industry’s decarbonization efforts.
Through the new agreement and with Jotun’s systems in place across Messina’s fleet, the company’s shipping operation will reduce its annualized carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 11,800 tons.
The agreement encompasses the application of the HullSkater robotic device for proactive cleaning and Jotun’s HullKeeper program, too, which monitors real-time performance and fouling risk, in turn assisting shipowners in optimizing fuel efficiency and clean hull maintenance.
Italy is one of the five big coatings markets in Western Europe, serving a population of 59 million people. Among the hallmarks of the Italian paint and coatings market are a strong emphasis on quality of finish and high demand for powder coatings through the presence of white goods manufacturers, yet at the same time, many traditional applications in the architectural finishing sector.
The Italian paint and coatings sector has always been a highly fragmented affair, and slowly witnessing different takeovers of small companies. International companies are increasing their presence in the Italian sector: earlier this year, Chugoku Marine Paints (CMP) acquired Italo Belge Colori srl. In recent weeks, CMP has acquired the minority shares in Chugoku-BOAT S.p.A in order to make it a wholly owned part of its European operations. Also reflecting a more internationalized participation in Italy has been the acquisition of the French-based Cromology by Nippon Paint in 2021 – more on that later – and Portugal’s CIN buying the Boero Group in the same year.
Italy Paints and Coatings Market Research Report by Resin Type and By Application has been published by Market Research Future in September 2025. It offers some interesting insights into the shape of the Italian paint and coatings market and its drivers over the next ten years.
The Italian paint and coatings market has been valued at US$4.02 billion for 2024, and with overall growth expected at 2.4% p.a. over the forecast period, it should be a market worth US$5.25 billion in 2035. Technical developments, as well as growing interest in sustainability and digitalisation, are among the main drivers anticipated in the future of the Italian coatings sector.
One of the key drivers in the Italian coatings sector is the uptake of modern technologies that are seen as driving application efficiencies and reducing production costs. This then attracts more companies that supply high-performance coatings, which then spurs competition further. More specifically, nanotechnology continues to enhance product performance in the Italian coatings sector while digital color matching plays into the goals of close co-operation and industry efficiency.
High-performance industrial coatings technologies continue to gain ground against a strong presence of epoxy and polyurethane resin chemistries. Examples extend to the use of keto-functionalised resins such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyether ketone (PEK), and polyaryl etherketone (PAEK) where their strong thermal stability and chemical resistance attributes are valuable for high-performing industrial applications.
Further still, fluoropolymer-based coatings are also gaining ground in specialist applications for their low-friction and strong solvent resistance qualities.
Construction and increasing numbers of renovation projects are driving coatings for architectural use in Italy. More stringent measures on VOC limits have been prompting an upsurge in interest in sustainable coatings and water-based coatings.
Strong growth is anticipated in the construction sector, which ultimately is good news for every mainstream coating sector except for automotive coatings. This is being driven by government initiatives to reinvigorate the Italian economy after the pandemic period, which hit Italy very hard.
This revitalization amounts to an investment in excess of €200 billion to help Italy bounce back. With such a dedicated program of building and renovation activity, there are also new opportunities to draw on and encourage the use of eco-friendly coatings and building practices.
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, residential renovations are a hot topic, with the government incentivizing owners to renovate by offering tax breaks, and this is also inspiring growth in the architectural/decorative sector. Among the companies that have been flourishing in the Italian architectural and construction products sectors are Nippon Paint and RPM.
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