Biobased Coatings Europe 2027

• Cost Parity Pathways: Closing the Gap with Conventional Coatings
• Dual Constraints: Performance and Profitability as Linked Variables
• Regulation as a Determinant of Market Viability
• Microplastics Legislation: Agricultural Impacts and Seed Coating Potential
• Biodegradable Derogation: Clarifying ECHA Guidance
• Diversified Feedstocks for Supply Chain Resilience
• Ingredient Constraints and Performance Dependencies
• Industrial-Scale Bio-Butanol: Readiness and Application Potential
• Terminology Standardization Across the Coatings Value Chain
• Reconciling Biodegradability and Durability in Product Design
• Titanium Dioxide: Lifecycle Impact and Risk Mitigation

• Biobased Material Producers
• Paint and Coatings Specialists
• Resin, binder, pigments and additive Companies
• IT and Data Associations
• Solution Providers
• Consultants
• Regulatory and Policy Officers
• Technology Providers

SITE VISIT HOST

Elementis is a global specialty chemical company, with circa 1,000 employees operating across 19 global locations and 12 manufacturing sites. At Elementis, we bring a distinctive combination of expertise, innovation, and teamwork to every formulation challenge. We create high-value specialty additives that enhance the performance of our customers’ products and make a positive change in the world.

Combining our leading positions in the science of materials flow, surface modification, and formulation with access to unique natural materials, Elementis delivers unique chemistry and sustainable solutions to customers in a wide range of markets, including decorative and industrial coatings, automotive, ceramics and adhesives & sealants.

Sustainability is a core driver of our innovation strategy. Through the development of renewable, bio-based and responsibly sourced solutions, we support our customers in meeting evolving regulatory, environmental and performance requirements. Guided by strong technical expertise and close customer collaboration, Elementis is committed to enabling more sustainable, high-performance formulations and long-term value creation.

www.elementis.com

ACI has put together a range of packages to suit your requirements. These range from branding options, to full scale partner solutions and can be tailored to meet your objectives and budgets.

If you are launching a new product or service and wish to gain visibility and brand recognition within your industry, contact us today!

For commercial opportunities, please contact:

Krisztina Szabo

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3141 0603

Email: [email protected]

A day prior to Biobased Coatings Europe 2027 limited number of conference delegates will have the unique opportunity to visit Elementis Global Centre of Excellence and R&D Hub in Porto.

Elementis’ new site in Porto integrates a Global Centre of Excellence with a dedicated Research & Development laboratory, strengthening the company’s technical capabilities across Europe. The facility is designed to support both the Coatings and Personal Care business segments, while reinforcing Elementis’ global R&D network alongside existing laboratories in Asia and the Americas.

The site comprises advanced laboratory infrastructure, technical demonstration areas and collaborative spaces that enable hands-on formulation development, customer presentations and technical training. As a customer-facing showcase, the Porto facility allows Elementis to demonstrate innovation capabilities and translate technical expertise into practical, application-driven solutions for European markets.

Strategically located, the Porto site benefits from strong infrastructure, access to highly qualified multidisciplinary talent and an advantageous time zone to facilitate close collaboration with Elementis teams and customers across Europe and the Americas. The facility also supports structured collaboration with academic and research institutions, fostering innovation in sustainable and bio-based chemistry.

As a technical hub, the Porto centre plays a key role in supporting Elementis’ product development pipeline and its ambition to accelerate innovation and deliver a growing portfolio of sustainable, high-performance solutions.

www.elementis.com

At the event we strive not only to bring you to the same location at the same time as your customers/suppliers/peers, we strive to ensure you meet face-to-face with each and every one of your target contacts and to provide you with the time you need to have multiple unhurried conversations with them and build a lasting business relationship:

• A pre-event informal introduction the evening before the conference
• A minimum of five hours’ networking built into the two day conference agenda
• A networking grid which enables you to make your target contacts aware you are looking for them
• The option to join either social drinks or dinner during the evening of Day One
• ACI’s on-site team will assist you in locating your hard-to-find target contacts & make face-to-face introductions

Of course, if there is anybody you are unable to meet over the two days, ACI’s event team will do their best to initiate contact after the event.

Event Overview

The 2026 edition of ACI’s Bio-Based Coatings Europe brought together bio-based material producers, paint and coating specialists, resin, binder, pigment and additive companies, technology providers, regulators, researchers and sustainability experts to explore the commercial future of bio-based coatings in Europe. Across two days of presentations and discussion, the event examined cost competitiveness, technical performance, regulatory development, raw material security, carbon-footprint reduction, formulation innovation and strategies for scaling bio-based coating technologies to commercial maturity.

Regulation, Investment and Market Development

One of the central themes of the conference was the role of regulation in shaping the future of bio-based coatings. Presentations examined European and global regulatory frameworks, including microplastics legislation and ECHA guidance on biodegradability, alongside ingredient restrictions and policy developments influencing commercial investment. Speakers highlighted the importance of regulatory clarity in creating market confidence and accelerating the adoption of sustainable coating technologies.

The discussions also explored the relationship between compliance and commercial development. Rather than viewing regulation solely as a technical obligation, the programme demonstrated how policy influences material selection, formulation strategies, investment decisions and the wider commercial viability of bio-based coating products.

Building Collaborative Bio-Based Value Chains

Collaboration across the coatings value chain was a recurring message throughout the conference. Sessions explored how stronger partnerships between feedstock suppliers, chemical producers, resin and additive manufacturers, coating formulators, technology developers, end users and policymakers are becoming essential for developing scalable bio-based business models.

Presentations examined sustainability partnerships, integrated value chains and commercial strategies capable of moving bio-based coatings from pilot development into industrial applications. Speakers consistently highlighted that commercial scale will depend upon greater coordination between raw material producers and downstream coating manufacturers, supported by customer demand, regulatory incentives and shared sustainability objectives.

Feedstock Security and Supply Chain Challenges

Feedstock availability remained one of the industry’s most significant challenges. Discussions focused on diversifying raw material sources, improving supply-chain resilience and maintaining consistent technical performance across different feedstock categories. Speakers examined the practical constraints surrounding bio-based materials, including availability, formulation reliability, production costs and competition for suitable renewable resources.

The conference highlighted the importance of multi-sourcing strategies, technical validation and stronger collaboration with raw material suppliers to ensure stable feedstock supplies capable of supporting future commercial production. Presentations also demonstrated how waste streams, algal biomass, lignin and other renewable resources could expand the range of materials available to coating manufacturers.

Technology Innovation and Commercial Scale-Up

Technical innovation formed a major part of the programme, with presentations covering bio-based resins, renewable additives, sustainable binders, algal coatings, bio-based epoxy systems and new building blocks for alkyd formulations. Rather than focusing solely on emerging research, speakers concentrated on technologies approaching commercial deployment and the challenges associated with industrial scale-up.

Sessions examined methods for reducing fossil feedstock use, improving coating performance, lowering carbon footprints and developing scalable alternatives to conventional ingredients such as bisphenol A and petroleum-based epichlorohydrin. Technology providers also demonstrated how formulation optimisation and renewable raw materials can support technical equivalence while improving environmental performance.

Discussions on the second day focused on raw material dependencies, product durability and lessons learned from practical coating applications, reinforcing the industry’s shift from experimental formulations towards commercially viable implementation.

Circular Product Design and Sustainability

The programme also examined the role of product design in balancing performance, durability and environmental responsibility. Presentations explored how bio-based formulation principles can support recyclable and biodegradable products while maintaining the functional performance required across architectural, industrial, packaging and coil-coating applications.

Sustainability discussions focused on carbon-footprint reduction, renewable content verification and the use of bio-based and mass-balance raw materials. Speakers highlighted the need for credible environmental data to support sustainability claims, regulatory compliance and customer confidence. Carbon reduction was discussed alongside broader circularity objectives, positioning bio-based coatings as one element within wider strategies for reducing fossil resource consumption and improving material efficiency.

Innovation Across Emerging Coating Technologies

Alongside established coating technologies, the conference explored emerging materials capable of expanding future bio-based applications. Presentations examined microalgae-derived barrier coatings, renewable rheology modifiers, bio-based epoxy resins, lignin-based alternatives, sustainable polyester and acrylic resins and new bio-based building blocks designed to improve coating performance.

These sessions demonstrated that innovation continues across multiple technology platforms, with the industry’s focus moving towards commercially viable solutions capable of delivering durability, regulatory compliance and technical performance while reducing reliance on conventional fossil-based materials.

Value Chain Collaboration

A recurring conclusion throughout the event was that bio-based coatings cannot develop successfully without closer collaboration across the full coatings value chain. Speakers emphasised the growing interdependence between raw material producers, chemical suppliers, formulators, coating manufacturers, technology developers, regulators, researchers and end users.

The conference demonstrated that many of the sector’s current challenges—including cost parity, feedstock security, regulatory compliance, technical performance and market development—require coordinated action rather than individual company initiatives. Greater transparency, stronger partnerships and shared commercial objectives were consistently presented as key drivers of future growth.

A Practical Industry Discussion

Overall, Bio-Based Coatings Europe 2026 reflected an industry moving from material development towards commercial implementation. Across the programme, discussions consistently returned to the need to balance regulatory compliance, cost competitiveness, raw material availability, technical performance and sustainability. The event positioned bio-based coatings as an increasingly important component of Europe’s transition towards renewable materials, with future growth dependent on scalable technologies, credible environmental performance and stronger collaboration across the coatings value chain.