Emerging Technologies and Applications: Advanced Coatings

 

The demand for advanced coatings is accelerating across growing industries such as electric vehicle (EV) batteries, aerospace, wind energy, oil & gas, data centers, and construction. As products are pushed to perform in harsher environments while meeting stricter efficiency and sustainability requirements, coatings are emerging as a critical enabler of reliability and performance.

 

Advanced coatings may improve manufacturability, extend lifetimes, reduce maintenance requirements, and facilitate higher performance. With industrialization continuing in emerging economies and electrification reshaping mature ones, the advanced coatings market is positioned for significant long-term growth.

 

IDTechEx's new report, 'Advanced Coatings 2026-2036: Market, Technologies, Players', provides an independent assessment of the technological and commercial progress of advanced coatings. Coverage spans fire protection, EMI shielding, anti-corrosion, dielectric, thermally conductive, PFAS-free, self-healing, and IR-reflective coatings. IDTechEx evaluates technology options, identifies growth opportunities and potential barriers, and provides a market outlook of advanced coatings in the decade ahead.

 

 

 

 

A coating is a material applied to the surface of an object. Coatings typically possess one or more of the following functions: to enhance appearance, to improve performance, or to provide protection. Advanced coatings are defined by IDTechEx as an emerging coating material/technology, or if there is an emerging application of an existing technology. Advanced coatings have a range of functionalities, including fire protection, EMI shielding, corrosion protection, dielectric insulation, and thermal conductivity, to name a few. Several advanced coatings are multifunctional, for example, providing both dielectric insulation and protection from corrosion, moisture, and chemicals.

 

 

Several converging trends underpin demand for advanced coatings. Growth in industries such as electric vehicles, aerospace, offshore wind, and electronics is creating demand alongside high-performance requirements for advanced coatings. For example, aerospace coatings must remain lightweight while resisting UV, abrasion, and extreme temperatures, while offshore wind installations demand durable anti-corrosion protection as they face relentless salt spray as part of a highly corrosive environment.

 

Energy efficiency is another critical driver: IR-reflective coatings can reduce cooling costs in construction and transport, while thermally conductive coatings could enhance thermal management in EVs and data centers.

 

Product lifecycle considerations are also reshaping expectations. OEMs and regulators are increasingly prioritizing durability and reduced maintenance cycles, a demand that coatings are well-placed to address if they can provide longer-lasting protection. Meanwhile, technological advances are enabling new coating applications, such as temperature-dependent reflectivity coatings for polytunnels.

 

Infrastructure expansion in emerging economies adds further growth momentum, while sustainability pressures to replace PFAS, reduce VOC content, and remove other harmful substances present a challenge to coatings manufacturers, which will result in the launch of new, safer products.

 

 

Applications span a wide range of industries. In EV batteries, advanced coatings could help protect the battery cells and pack through dielectric insulation, thermal management, fire protection, and corrosion protection. The advanced coatings for the EV battery market is forecast to grow from US$1.1 billion in 2026 to US$2.8 billion in 2036.

 

Wind turbines represent another growing market, with anti-corrosion coatings in this application projected to grow at a 6.8% CAGR between 2026 and 2036. This reflects the push towards more renewable energy through larger turbines and growing numbers of wind projects.

 

Meanwhile, aerospace demands coatings that balance lightweight design with resistance to extreme heat and UV. In May 2025, PPG announced an investment of US$380 million to build a new aerospace coatings and sealants manufacturing facility in North Carolina, reflecting the commercial momentum in this area.

 

Oil & gas continues to rely on protective systems that extend infrastructure lifetimes under harsh conditions. In 2025 Sherwin Williams and Hempel were amongst many leading players who launched advanced coatings solutions to corrosion under insulation. In construction, IR-reflective coatings are gaining importance for reducing energy consumption in buildings.

 

 

In 'Advanced Coatings 2026-2036: Market, Technologies, Players', for each advanced coatings function assessed by IDTechEx, the latest and established technologies are evaluated through technology benchmarking and analysis. In each area, the latest commercial activity is highlighted from leading players to startups. From AkzoNobel's new Resicoat product line to AssetCool's innovative powerline coatings and robots, the report informs the latest activity in the advanced coatings market.

 

For each coating technology, a market outlook is given, alongside granular 10-year market forecasts for the advanced anti-corrosion coatings market and EV battery coatings market. The report also covers a SWOT analysis for PFAS alternative coatings ahead of an impending ban, as well as coverage of non-specialist and specialist coatings application technologies, and alternative materials to advanced coatings, such as films, inorganic shielding, and fibers.

 

Advanced coatings are increasingly becoming a fundamental requirement across industries, enabling safety, durability, efficiency, and sustainability. From thermal management in EV batteries to anti-corrosion protection in offshore wind and fire protection in data centers, these coatings address urgent performance needs while opening pathways for disruptive innovation.

 

'Advanced Coatings 2026-2036: Market, Technologies, Players' provides an independent, definitive assessment of this market. IDTechEx has an extensive history in the field of advanced materials and their technical analysts and independent assessment brings the reader unbiased outlooks, technology comparisons, and player analysis on the advanced coatings industry.

 

For more information on this report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/AdvancedCoatings, or for the full portfolio of research available from IDTechEx, see www.IDTechEx.com.