Background
Coatings are key to the performance of most products and they contribute to sustainability by enhancing the efficiency and extending the life of the products that they protect, as well as by enabling the reduced use of scarce bulk materials. Therefore, coatings are a vital part of the nation's manufacturing industry, contributing to many sectors, including aerospace, energy, automotive and construction.
Coatings and Processes
Image Source: Saurav Goel
Costs of Coatings (£billions)
Image Source: SEAC, KTN Report
However, until now the UK coatings industry has been severely lagging behind compared to High Value Manufacturing sectors in terms of all aspects of design, development, manufacture, and implementation into products, particularly in terms of the degree of digitalisation achieved (as epitomised in the "Industry 4.0" concept).
A Government Policy Paper
Published in December 2018
FORGING OUR FUTURE: INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY – THE STORY SO FAR
The aim is to build on strengths in the UK and lead the future via 4 pillars (grand challenges) and 5 drivers of productivity.
Image source: Royalty-free stock illustration ID: 514564342
Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 depicts fourth industrial revolution and describes the trend towards automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes, which include use of Cyber-physical systems, Internet of things, Industrial internet of things, Cloud computing, Cognitive computing and Artificial Intelligence.