HZ info, Editor's Note: Keeping pace with industry developments and empowering practitioners to strategically plan ahead, HZ info launches the special feature "Foresee 2026: Dialogues with Chief Engineers, Insights into the Future." 

Beyond macro-level data to directly engage with frontline technology R&D and application, we have interviewed chief engineers or senior experts across specialized segments. Together, they help practitioners outline the technological landscape and market opportunities for the coatings industry in 2026.

Featured Focus: Marine Coatings

Interviewee: Wang Jian

Wang Jian brings extensive experience in technical R&D and operational management within multinational corporations. In his early career, he conducted product research at International Paint Ltd. in the UK. Upon returning to China, he held several key positions, including Technical Manager, Technical Director, and Operations Director at International Paint Shanghai Co., Ltd., Plant Manager at Alcoa (Shanghai), and Technical Director at COSCO-Jotun Marine Coatings (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. With a long-term focus on marine and protective coatings, he has built profound expertise in product innovation, R&D application, and regulatory standards.

He actively promotes the dissemination of industry technology and the development of knowledge systems. He has participated as lead editor or co-editor of several major professional publications, including Coatings Technology (4th Edition), Anti-Corrosive Coatings and Application, Marine Coatings and Application Manual, Anti-Corrosion Coatings Engineering Manual, and *Practical Ship Design Manual - Outfitting Volume (3rd Edition)*. He has also published numerous academic papers, making significant contributions to the technological advancement of the coatings industry.

Innovation Direction

Currently, the global maritime industry is in a critical period of green transformation and structural adjustment. Due to shipbuilding capacity constraints and global economic uncertainties, the volume of new shipbuilding market transactions is expected to decrease significantly. However, data projections suggest that annual new ship orders could still reach 120 million deadweight tonnes, a historically strong level.

Simultaneously, China's shipbuilding industry continues to lead globally. In the first three quarters of the year, China's shipbuilding completion, new orders, and orders on hand accounted for 53.8%, 67.3%, and 65.2% of the global total in deadweight tonnes, respectively. In the first half of the year, based on compensated gross tons, these figures stood at 47.2%, 64.0%, and 57.6%. This strong industrial resilience provides a vast market space for marine coatings companies. More notably, green transformation has become a core consensus in the global maritime industry. In the first half of 2025, alternative-fueled vessels accounted for 55.5% of global new ship orders, and new orders for such vessels increased by 78% compared to the full year of 2024. The escalating demand for low-carbon/zero-carbon solutions and drag reduction for energy efficiency is compelling the marine coatings industry to accelerate technological iteration.

Discussing the technological development direction for marine coatings in 2026 and beyond, Wang Jian points out that the industry's technical focus will be on long-lasting, smart antifouling solutions. As international standards and regulations become increasingly stringent, with tighter controls on substances like biocides and microplastics, hull antifouling must undergo a fundamental shift from a "chemical kill" model to "physical/smart defense." This breakthrough involves not only the technology itself but also multidisciplinary collaboration across materials science, marine biology, and fluid dynamics. It also requires large-scale process innovation and the establishment of new standard systems. The success of this shift will directly determine whether the shipping industry can find a sustainable balance between environmental compliance and cost reduction.

Product Direction

From an end-user demand perspective, Wang Jian believes that mainstream marine coatings products will evolve deeply in three major directions, which are interconnected and collectively drive technological change. First,high performance, pursuing long-term protection and ultimate durability. Second, functional integration, achieving integrated drag reduction, energy saving, antifouling, and corrosion protection; developing special functions like anti-icing and ice-impact resistance; and integrating smart coatings monitoring and warning technologies. Third, environmental compliance, focusing on low-VOC, heavy-metal-free, low-toxicity, and non-toxic antifouling technologies to achieve pollution-free and environmentally friendly application.

Advice

Facing profound changes in environmental protection, functionality, and intelligence, Wang Jian suggests that industry peers take action on three levels for targeted preparation and positioning. In R&D and product portfolio, focus on core technologies and deeply transition towards "green-functional integration" and "smart-sensing" coatings. In industry chain and service upgrade, reshape value propositions, moving from a pure material supplier to a "coating solution service provider." In organization and capability building, consolidate the development foundation by constructing open, collaborative innovation systems and cultivating a versatile talent pool.

Wang Jian's insights align closely with the practical needs of the industry, providing clear direction for the future development of marine coatings companies. Concurrently, both international companies and domestic manufacturers are actively promoting technological innovation in the marine coatings sector, revealing distinct trends in new products and technologies. Policies and regulations, market demand, and innovations in raw materials and processes are the core driving forces.

According to market research by iBuychem, the global marine coatings market is currently highly concentrated, with the top ten companies all based in Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea. In the Chinese market, over 80% of the high-end share is occupied by foreign companies like Jotun and Hempel. Local enterprises such as Sunrui and Yutong are currently focused primarily on the mid-to-low-end market. However, it is noteworthy that China's marine coatings industry has made significant progress in technical R&D and application processes. Technologies like steel pretreatment and block coatings are gradually becoming widespread, and computer-aided design and zone coatings techniques are being promoted in large shipyards.

In this context, a growing number of local companies are targeting the high-end market. Enterprises like Hilong, Yutong, Sunrui, and Xinhe are making strides in the high-end marine antifouling coatings sector. For example,Yutong is accelerating its transformation to the high-end, focusing on low-VOC, long-life products. It employs physical detachment technology to reduce reliance on chemical antifouling agents and enhance antifouling sustainability. Sunruiis advancing from the traditional mid-to-low end towards the high-end, concentrating on biocide-free antifouling and long-lasting protective coatings, optimizing substrate adhesion while meeting environmental requirements. Meanwhile, companies like Dongyu and MEGA P&C are leveraging the major shipbuilding cycle and the opportunity for domestic substitution in marine coatings, entering the market from their respective areas of strength. They are poised to become emerging forces in the marine coatings field in the future.