May 4, 2021
A new report by Frost & Sullivan says the coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers (CASE) market should witness growth in 2021 as its key end markets – healthcare, construction and packaging – are witnessing a quicker than expected recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
With the anticipated restoration of semi-normalcy in the latter half of 2021, end-use industries are likely to operate to their full capacity, thereby pushing the demand for CASE, the report says. By the end of 2021, the global CASE market is estimated to reach nearly $225 billion, registering two percent growth from $220.5 billion last year.
“The personal protective equipment (PPE), food packaging, healthcare, and industrial machinery end-use industries will drive the market in 2021 and beyond. Adhesives specifically designed for flexible packaging applications are an emerging concept and expected to be a key R&D focus for adhesive manufacturers in 2021,” says Ganesh Dabholkar, Senior Research Analyst, Chemicals, Materials and Nutrition Practice at Frost & Sullivan. “High-precision bonding will also become a top requirement in electronics, luxury packaging, healthcare, and jewelry applications. Adhesive manufacturers should invest in product development and plan to provide exclusive technical support to their extreme-precision adhesive customers.”
Christeena Thomas, Senior Industry Analyst, Chemicals, Materials and Nutrition Practice at Frost & Sullivan, adds: “Several leading coatings manufacturers are investing in the development of products with greater microbial resistance or with the ability to kill harmful microbes and thus improve the indoor air quality of residential and commercial buildings. Customers, especially in the premium segment, have been showing greater interest in coatings that ensure high antimicrobial or anti-viral properties in both the construction and transportation sectors.”
Frost & Sullivan says CASE manufacturers should focus on the following growth prospects:
- Innovative Adhesive and Sealant Development for EV Applications: Sealant manufacturers should focus extensive R&D investment on developing sealants that efficiently seal complicated joints in an EV battery pack and simultaneously ensure high resistance to undesired environmental factors.
- High-performance Acoustic and Fire Sealant End-use Requirements: Sealant manufacturers need to leverage the current demand-supply gap for high-performance sealants designed to react at certain temperatures to meet the desired fire rating.
- Specialty Products for Modular Construction: Global manufacturers should concentrate on developing CASE products that are exclusive to construction automated processes, such as prefabricated construction.