---
title: "Keynote Case Study: PPG: The Future Of Coatings Was Becoming Digital, Sustainable And Advanced."
canonical: https://jimcarroll.com/2016/05/keynote-case-study-ppg-the-future-of-coatings-was-becoming-digital-sustainable-and-advanced-2/
updated: 2016-05-02T13:00:00+00:00
---

# Keynote Case Study: PPG: The Future Of Coatings Was Becoming Digital, Sustainable And Advanced.

Jim Carroll’s keynote for Ppg helped PPG’s leaders think through materials innovation, smart manufacturing, sustainability and market acceleration — turning big trends into practical opportunities for growth.

The keynote, *“The Future Of Coatings Was Becoming Digital, Sustainable And Advanced,”* laid out the challenge and the path forward.

![PPG: The Future Of Coatings Was Becoming Digital, Sustainable And Advanced.](https://jimcarroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/PPG_case_study_page_1.png)

Coatings and materials companies had to innovate faster while meeting rising performance and sustainability demands at the same time. The old trade-off — better performance or a smaller environmental footprint — was no longer acceptable to customers or regulators. Both were now required, simultaneously, and faster than before.

![Key trends reshaping the future of coatings and materials](https://jimcarroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/PPG_case_study_page_2.png)

Six trends are shaping that shift.

- **Sustainable Coatings.** Lower-VOC, bio-based and more sustainable coatings were delivering high performance with a smaller environmental footprint.

- **Advanced Materials.** New chemistries and functional materials were enabling greater durability, performance and broader applications.

- **AI-Driven Formulation.** AI and data analytics were accelerating the discovery, formulation and optimization of next-generation coatings.

- **Lightweighting.** Coatings and materials were enabling lighter, stronger designs across automotive, aerospace and industrial markets.

- **Smart Factories.** Digital, connected and automated manufacturing was delivering higher quality, greater flexibility and faster speed to market.

- **Circular Manufacturing.** Closed-loop systems, recycled feedstocks and coatings designed for recyclability were keeping materials in use longer.

The future of coatings, Jim told PPG’s audience, would be high-performance, lower-impact, science-driven and fast to market.

Materials science rarely gets the spotlight, but it’s often the quiet foundation underneath the biggest industrial transformations. Jim’s take for PPG: the companies that treat coatings and materials as a source of innovation — not just a commodity input — are the ones that will define what’s possible next. Explore more [keynote case studies](https://jimcarroll.com/tag/case-studies/).