September 2013 www.coatingsworld.com Coatings World | 33
other areas where hygiene is mandatory, thereby sustaining investments in
the market.
New analysis from Frost &
Sullivan, Analysis of the Asia-Pacific
Antimicrobial Coatings Market, finds
that the market earned revenues of more
than $70 million in 2012 and estimates
this to reach $123 million in 2018. The
main end-user segments covered in the
research are medical devices and the
food and beverage industry, while other
end-user segments include building and
construction as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
“Antimicrobial coatings are becom-
ing popular in cardiology, orthopedics,
general surgery, ophthalmology, intrave-
nous therapy and urology, as their ap-
plication on intravenous catheters, stents
and wound dressings reduces infection
rates,” said Frost & Sullivan Chemicals,
Materials and Food Research Analyst
Nandhini Rajagopal. “The prevalence
of multi-drug-resistant microbes and
hospital-acquired infections, especially
in Southeast Asia, further drives the need
for advanced antimicrobial solutions, ac-
celerating market development.”
However, the lack of standard test-
ing procedures to verify the effectiveness
of an antimicrobial coating has allowed
several fake products to enter the mar-
ket, reducing overall market value. Some
manufacturers provide false claims re-
garding the functional attributes of
their coatings or offer coatings with an
extremely low concentration of biocide,
creating a trust deficit with customers
and reducing sale volumes.
Low awareness about the benefits of
antimicrobials among most users in Asia-Pacific, along with the rise in the cost of a
paint or coating when an antimicrobial is
added, also deters adoption.
To encourage uptake, coating manufacturers need to create new, cost-effective antimicrobial additives which are
efficient even with a low biocide concentration. Increasing consumer awareness
will add to market opportunities across
segments in the region.
“Collaboration among biocide and
coating manufacturers will ensure
the expansion of product lines and
an increase in margins,” concluded
Rajagopal. “Setting up local manufac-
turing facilities will help global manu-
facturers stay competitive.”
Analysis of the Asia-Pacific
Antimicrobial Coatings Market is
part of the Chemicals & Materials
Growth Partnership Service program.
Frost & Sullivan’s related research
services include: Asia-Pacific
Biorenewable Materials Market,
European Antimicrobial Coatings
Market, and U.S. Antimicrobial
Coatings Market. All research services
included in subscriptions provide detailed
market opportunities and industry trends
evaluated following extensive interviews
with market participants. CW
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