Driven by emerging markets and demands for higher quality and environmentally friendly coatings, the worldwide coatings market is growing at a rapid pace already topping $15 billion. In this newsletter, Baverstam addresses key developments taking place in industrial coatings, with a section focused on automotive coatings, which alone is expected to reach $10 billion within the next 5 years. Packaging is another area where coatings are making a huge impact, driven by consumers growing demand for fresh foods and convenience. Novel packaging solutions with functional coatings are entering the marketplace and important new developments in this area are also reported in this newsletter.