On November 14th, the 2023 BATF Innovation Product Summit with the theme “Innovation, Leadership, Winning the Future” was held grandly in Minhang, Shanghai.
Mr. Liu Pujun, President of China Coatings Industry Association, and Mr. Liu Jie, Secretary-General, Mr. Yan Yongjiang, former President of Ocean Chemical Research Institute, Mr. Shen Chunlin, Executive President of Suzhou Waterproof Research Institute of China National Building Materials, Mr. Zheng Gongshao, industry veteran expert, Mr. Tang Lei, Chief Engineer of Nippon Paint Group, Mr. Xu Zhixin, Vice President of Asia Star Group, Mr. Ye Qingfeng, Vice President of Application Research and Development of Mogao Biological Technology, as well as Mr. Li Yizhong, Chairman of BATF Group Supervisory Board, Mr. Gong Yanglong, CEO of the Group, Mr. Zhou Wei, COO of the Group, Mr. Yang Wentao, General Manager of the Construction Coatings Division, Mr. Qian Hao, General Manager of the Waterproof Division, Mr. Liu Lei, General Manager of the South China Sales Center, Dr. Shu Shujun, General Manager of the Innovation Research Center and Director of Shanghai Innovation Research Institute, Mr. Shi Qinglin, Corporate Culture Consultant of BATF, Mr. Mai Shihua, Deputy General Manager of the Construction Coatings Division, Mr. Wen Bo, Deputy General Manager of the New Materials Division, and Mr. Cui Jun, Deputy General Manager of the South China Sales Center, and other distinguished guests attended the summit to witness the strong strength of BATF's products and services.
The summit began with a speech by Mr. Liu Pujun, President of China Coatings Industry Association. He first congratulated the successful convening of the summit on behalf of the association and pointed out that as the largest coatings market in the global coatings industry, the Chinese coatings market accounts for more than 25% of the global coatings industry's output and has remained the world's number one for 14 consecutive years. Currently, the coatings industry is in a critical period of the 14th Five-Year Plan, and the key to promoting high-quality development of the industry lies in technological innovation, especially the technological innovation of core raw materials such as synthetic resin emulsions. He hopes that BATF will continuously introduce new technologies, products, and processes that are in line with the industry's development through technological innovation, providing strong technical support for downstream coatings enterprises to improve quality and efficiency. He also emphasized the importance of technological innovation as the driving force, promoting business growth, enhancing core competitiveness, and further expanding and strengthening BATF to achieve better results.
Mr. Zhou Wei, COO of BATF Group, stated in his speech at the summit that this year is a year when BATF's product value shaping has achieved initial results, and this summit is the most important event among the series of activities held by BATF this year. BATF has always worked together with many industry partners, not choosing to lie down or complain in the face of difficult circumstances. It has always taken “creating excellence and being a respected enterprise” as its mission, honing its internal strength, actively advancing, and continuously thinking about how to create more value for customers and the industry. Through the relentless pursuit of product and service capabilities, BATF aims to promote industrial development from the source. Today's grand event is a perfect embodiment of BATF's value and represents a solid step towards becoming a comprehensive water-based new material supplier. It is hoped that this event will become a milestone in promoting industry and industrial development.
Innovation
Low Carbon, Enhanced Efficiency: Innovations Unveiled
In recent years, colorful products and solutions focusing on "low carbon, enhanced efficiency" have become star categories in the field of architectural coatings, drawing significant attention. BATF has actively contributed to this trend by introducing a series of products and solutions in the colorful product line. However, innovation does not stop here; BATF continually drives the innovation and upgrading of products and solutions, ensuring benefits for customers of various scales and business models.
At the recent summit forum, the colorful product line took the lead. Mr. Wang Shouxiang, Manager of Product Solutions and Promotion Department of the Building Coatings Business Unit, presented the release of the second-generation low carbon light-colored stone solution titled "Solution Upgrade, More Efficiency with Low Carbon." With the background of approaching the "dual carbon goals," the increasing demand for "green building materials" aligns with the industry trend. BATF's response has been a series of colorful product solutions, with low carbon light-colored stone being a representative among them. Through continuous innovation and development, BATF optimized the low carbon light-colored stone products and solutions in terms of construction processes, production techniques, and product performance, resulting in the release of the second-generation solution, achieving the effect of "upgrading the solution, more efficiency with low carbon."
Furthermore, the innovation and upgrade of low carbon light-colored stone are not isolated cases; BATF consistently dedicates itself to the innovation of each product. Dr. Shujun Shu, Senior Manager of Product Management Department of BATF's Building Coatings Business Unit, presented the product solutions under the theme "Innovation Unleashed, Paving the Way for the Future." This included six products and solutions: exterior wall flower repair solution, stone-like companion, decorative repair, interior tactile coating, enhanced coating for process products, and emulsion for steel structure expanding fire-resistant coatings. These unveil BATF's capability to lead the industry in research and development, translating innovative results effectively. Mr. Yu Yong emphasized that BATF's innovation is not for the sake of innovation but rather a response to the subtle changes in market demand, aiming to guide downstream customers in finding the right direction for development and jointly envisioning the future.
Leadership
Comprehensive Coverage in Waterproofing, Industrial Coatings, and Powder Adhesives
BATF's innovation extends beyond colorful products. As a diversified group, BATF actively explores broader applications in various product markets. During the forum, BATF also released innovative product solutions for the fields of industrial coatings, waterproof materials, and powder adhesives.
On the morning of the 14th, the official launch of BATF's Shanghai Innovation Research Institute took place. Dr. Shujun Shu, General Manager of the Innovation R&D Center and Director of the Shanghai Innovation Research Institute, delivered a presentation titled "Ultra-high Solid Acrylic Acid Products Serving the Coating Industry." This comprehensive report showcased BATF's product and service capabilities in the field of water-based industrial coatings.
Dr. Shujun Shu pointed out that low-carbon environmental protection has become an inevitable direction for the development of the coatings industry. However, facing escalating environmental requirements, technological innovation has encountered bottlenecks, becoming a significant factor hindering the industry's further development. In response, BATF Group invested substantial resources and developed the industry's first ultra-high solid acrylic acid emulsion product. The introduction of this product not only responds to the low carbon environmental trend but also explores more application scenarios and broader prospects in the field of water-based industrial coatings, contributing a robust leadership force to the development of the Chinese coatings industry!
This year marks the first year of the implementation of the "General Specifications for Building and Municipal Waterproofing." In this context, BATF actively responded by rapidly providing a series of product solutions that meet the mandatory standards for waterproofing. Mr. He Yangyang, Product Manager of Product Development and Solution Department of BATF's Waterproof Business Unit, emphasized the market opportunities brought about by the new waterproofing regulations and presented the tailored product solutions created by BATF for its customers.
In addition, given the urgent demand for high-performance powder adhesives in rapidly developing areas such as exterior wall waterproof mortar, imitation stone paint base layer waterproof and crack-resistant mortar, large tile ceramic tile adhesive, BATF has successively launched a series of acrylic adhesive powder products. At the forum, Mr. Peng Chuanming, Project Manager of Powder Adhesives at BATF's South China Sales Center, grandly released a series of innovative adhesive powder products.
Some product sample pictures
Winning the Future
Exploring Breakthroughs for Enterprises in the New Landscape
Innovation is the driving force for corporate development and a catalyst for industry growth. In the era of low carbon environmental protection, BATF, with a stance of originating innovations, not only propels the transformation and upgrading of coating and waterproofing enterprises but also aspires to drive sustainable development across the industry.
To this end, the core segment of this summit forum invited representatives from different application fields to engage in discussions and share insights. Participating guests in the forum included Mr. Yan Yongjiang, former President of the Institute of Oceanographic Chemical Engineering, Mr. Shen Chunlin, Executive Director of the Suzhou Waterproof Research Institute of China Building Materials, Mr. Zheng Gongshao, Senior Industry Expert, Mr. Tang Lei, Chief Engineer of Nippon Paint Group, Mr. Xu Zhixin, Vice President of Asia Sis Group, Mr. Ye Qingfeng, Vice President of Application R&D at Moka Biotechnology, along with Dr. Shujun Shu, General Manager of the Innovation R&D Center and Director of the Shanghai Innovation Research Institute. The forum was moderated by Mr. Shi Qinglin, Corporate Culture Consultant at BATF.
What challenges will the architectural coatings and waterproofing market face in 2024? What areas are worth focusing on when transitioning from architectural coatings to water-based industrial coatings? What are the development trends of functional architectural coatings? In response to a series of questions posed by the host, the participating guests shared unique insights and suggestions based on their practices and observations. They actively guided the exploration of breakthroughs for enterprises in the new landscape, ensuring BATF's role in steering the industry towards a sustainable future.
Q1: What challenges will the architectural coatings and waterproof coatings market face in 2024?
Shen Chunlin: Both architectural coatings and waterproof coatings are confronted with the situations of rising raw material costs and industry consolidation. It is anticipated that 2024 will pose even greater challenges. However, the implementation of the "General Specifications for Building and Municipal Waterproofing" will bring opportunities to the market, indirectly benefiting emulsion enterprises.
Xu Zhixin: There is considerable uncertainty about the prospects in our industry. In the practical operation of our business this year, we have indeed felt the impact of another downturn brought by the real estate industry. This may, to a certain extent, pose challenges to the architectural coatings industry, including challenges for next year's engineering coatings. The opportunities within this context, for us, require a thorough understanding and transition from the original business model, shifting the focus from incremental markets to existing markets.
Tang Lei: Under the pressure of economic downturn, the observable trend in the entire real estate sector indicates a tendency toward internal competition ("neijuan" in Chinese) becoming the norm. Thus, facing economic challenges, both architectural coatings and waterproof coatings need to consider optimizing costs, as cost optimization is a challenge that the entire enterprise, from procurement to production supply chain, technology, and sales, must confront.
Q2: What areas are worth focusing on when transitioning from architectural coatings to water-based industrial coatings?
Yan Yongjiang: Transitioning from architectural coatings to water-based industrial coatings is not a question of whether it can be done but how to do it. The application scenarios for coatings are diverse, ranging from automobiles, ships, high-speed trains, bridges, marine, aerospace, to our smartphones. Before embarking on this transformation, companies must first determine their direction, which requires two prerequisites: having a certain foundation as support and having a clear method and approach for the transition. In essence, this transformation cannot be blind.
Shu Shujun: The types of industrial coatings are extremely diverse, and transitioning from architectural coatings to industrial coatings is, in fact, a strategic transformation for a company. It is crucial to find where our market is. I believe that, first and foremost, we must start with what is easier and gradually grow in areas our capabilities can support. Furthermore, the transition of industrial coatings to water-based solutions should not be pursued as an all-or-nothing endeavor. Initially, part of the business can transition to water-based, while the majority remains solvent-based. Then, gradually increase the degree of water-based transition, expanding the scope of transformation.
Ye Qingfeng: Domestic coating companies have entered the industrial market relatively late, so if we want to transition, we must identify pain points in the water-based industrial coatings market. Under the leadership of Dr. Shu, the establishment of BATF's Shanghai Innovation Research Institute aims to develop these products and establish a market advantage once developed. Currently, there are only two ways to enter the industrial coatings market: either adapt to the market or lead the market. Leading the market would yield better results.
Q3: What are the development trends of functional architectural coatings?
Zheng Gongshao: While coatings are evolving towards environmental protection, low carbon, and intelligence, there are still many functionalities to explore. Colorful coatings, which have been significantly promoted by the Chinese, have been greatly contributed to by BATF from the perspective of raw materials, facilitating innovation and widespread adoption of colorful coatings.
Tang Lei: When working on exterior wall coatings, I recommend looking at the coatings themselves. Some single-layer coatings may not solve all problems, so while developing coatings, consider combining waterproofing. Turning to interior walls, focus more on the wear-resistant function behind decorative effects. In other aspects, can we introduce new materials, such as nanotechnology? Finding solutions in this area has been a challenge, but I believe breakthroughs can be made in these functional coatings. Lastly, in recent years, artistic coatings have been popular in the market, showcasing good performance in decoration and aesthetics. However, increasing functionality is a future direction.
