2021-2022 Paint & Surface Industry Assessment
Surface Treatments Association of Turkey – İbrahim Doğangün
Our association was established at the beginning of the pandemic process, quickly organized and started its activities. Online meetings, trainings and seminars were carried out very effectively during the pandemic process. Our association aims to bring together all institutions and organizations serving the sector, to protect common interests, to increase the sharing of knowledge and experience, to seek rational solutions to common problems, to be an effective meeting point by developing training, testing, analysis and R&D activities in line with academic and industrial relations. Our association participated in various fairs (Surtech 2021, WinEurasia 2021, Railway, Viaport Marina EXPO, Eskişehir Industry Fair 2021) in 2021, prepared and published the magazine, web page and bulletin (TÜYİDERGİ, TÜYİDER BÜLTEN, TÜYİDER.ORG), which is the communication platform of the sector. It increased its relations with different sectoral associations, OEMs and professional chambers and carried out its activities in the most efficient way. Depending on the metal and plastic manufacturing sectors in the world, the sectoral growth rate of surface treatments is also
quite high in our country, and in this process, the preparations of the sector continue in the face of new standards and conditions.
Since surface treatment or coating will be applied to almost many products in the near future, the need for longerlasting and functional new surface treatments and advanced
coatings will continue to increase in the face of decreasing raw material resources. R&D and innovation activities are expected to increase for a clean environment and a developed sector.
Our country has increased its exports together with the pandemic process and has had the opportunity to have a larger market share. Our association, on the other hand, has rapidly
started to work on the establishment of an advanced specialized organized industrial zone (TÜYİOSB) with an effective infrastructure against the difficulties and new problems (such as water, energy, waste) that we will encounter in this process. Our Association’s Scientific Board includes expert academics from metallurgical and materials engineering, environmental engineering, physics and chemical engineering departments of various universities. Within the scope of this study, our association receives continuous support from our academic members, who are highly experienced in the field of sectoral applications.
General Manager of BASF Chemetall Türkiye – Ebru Pilavcı Erişi
2021 was a very busy and dynamic year for our company. Although we thought that we get used to survive under Pandemic, its negative effect on our psychologies was much more visible. As we earn more than 50% of our revenue from automotive market, chip crisis had an impact on us. 
Neverthless we managed to adapte ourselves to sudden shut-down of automotive producers. Main topic in 2021 was raw material shortages as well as their increased
prices. Many chemicals such as phosphoric acid, metalsalts, surfactants, polimers etc. had supply problems. On top of all these negative effects, exchange rate fluctuations, increase in inflation and increase of energy costs by Q4, end of 2021 was worse that its beginning.
Despite all these negative facts, 2021 was a successfull year for BASF Chemetall Turkey. We managed to increase our sales, gain new customers and promote new technological products to the market. Recently, each year starts worse than the prior year. The difficult facts in 2021 still continue effecting our lives and businesses. I am expecting that due to cost increase and supply shortages, 2022 will be even more though than 2021. This year, like all other years, our priority is to protect our employees’ health. Due to Omicron variant, Pandemic situation can be hardly controlled nowadays. We would like to continue our activities without interruption by taking necessary measures.
Other than that like each and every year, we target to increase our market share, which givesus strength and moti vation despite challenges. We will continue to focus on new technological products and to gain new customers. Another key task for 2022 is to retain our profits stable.
General Manager of Hillebrand Chemicals Kimyasal Pazarlama Ltd. Şti. – İzzet Aydın
When we evaluate the past year, especially from an automotive perspective, I can say that the year 2021 has started in a promising way for the global automotive industry. When the vaccine became available, the worst of the corona epidemic seemed to be over. The business cycle changed and the economy recovered faster than experts had predicted.
In the automotive industry, a phenomenon such as the atmosphere of innovation has spread. But then the atmosphere changed; reports of force majeure of unplanned
plant failures and production outages increased, supplies of intermediates and raw materials became increasingly stagnant, distributions were disrupted everywhere, supply
chains were completely shut down – and prices were astronomical.
Today, there is little to no optimism about flexibility among companies. Instead, uncertainty and insecurity prevail. Currently, the significant weakening of the automotive industry
further complicates the situation. Economic research institutes warn that the rapid recovery of the post-corona economy is having a huge impact on the failing supply situation in the automotive industry.
In addition, the automotive industry has a bad image among a large part of society due to the high carbon footprint it creates. Time will tell whether the industry’s efforts to move towards a circular economy will result in a reputational return. 2022 will be an exciting year, despite everything, the industry looks to the future with hope.
