Artificial intelligence does not replace knowledge!

Almost everything that surrounds us in everyday life is coated or painted—from automobiles and household appliances to machines, buildings, and wind turbines. Industrial painting technology not only provides color and design, but also protects materials from corrosion, wear, and environmental influences. It thus makes a decisive contribution to preserving value and making products more durable.

At the same time, coating technology is a truly interdisciplinary field. It brings together chemistry, process engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. This results in an enormous variety of professional and technological opportunities – from users in production to paint manufacturers to plant engineers and system integrators.

However, the industry faces major challenges: increased efficiency, rising environmental and resource protection requirements, and advancing digitalization are fundamentally changing processes and technologies. One of the biggest tasks in the coming years, however, will be knowledge transfer. Many experienced professionals from the baby boomer generation are retiring—and with them, valuable experiential knowledge is at risk of being lost.

Knowledge is more than just information: it arises from the combination of information and experience. While artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly adept at providing and evaluating information, gathering and classifying experience remains a deeply human skill.

The future of industrial coating technology will therefore be shaped by a new form of collaboration: humans and AI as partners. Modern coating technologies will require both highly specialized experts and broad-based generalists – people who understand, connect, and further develop technologies.

This keynote speech shows why industrial coating technology is a fascinating, versatile, and forward-looking industry – and why now is the right time to rediscover it