An interview with Harald Hvalvik and Sam Chambers

MARKET NEWS: MARINE COATINGS becoming “solution providers” rather than
being just “product suppliers” as they tradi-
Paint suppliers will have to focus more tionally have been regarded as.
on becoming “solution providers” rather The industry will also have to adapt to
than being just “product suppliers” new environmental legislation. In addition
to the already implemented legislation on
An interview with Harald Hvalvik, GHG emissions in Europe, another exam-
Vice President– Region West Europe, Jotun Performance Coatings, ple is the max. VOC release volumes that
and Sam Chambers, Regional Marine Director– West Europe, is already implemented in some countries
Jotun Performance Coatings and which for instance affects newbuilding
yards and the paint products they can spec-
ify for the vessels. Solvent free and ultra-low
VOC products will change not just the paint
industry itself, but also the application of the
products and the life cycle maintenance.
In Jotun, we believe in being active in the
forefront of this technology development,
being THE reliable “cradle to grave” Ser-
vice & Solutions Business Partner.

Harald Hvalvik and Sam Chambers present to Naftika Chronika the What is the importance of R&D
most important technological advancements in marine coatings for Jotun with regards to the
and express their thoughts on the future correlation between competitiveness of the products?
selling products and providing services while emphasizing the
importance of R&D for both the coatings industry and JOTUN itself S. C. : Well, that depends on how you
with regards to sustainability and evolution. define “competitiveness”. In Jotun, our
main focus is to provide value-adding
What do you consider to be the the vessel’s market attractiveness towards solutions for our customers. Whether first time, something that I believe under- ters, driving the business forward, wheth-
major technological advance- both possible charterers, (like for tankers, it be increasing an asset’s potential life- lines the importance of this market to er that is in market changes and prod-
ments that will shape the indus- bulkers and container vessels), and / or time, improving operational efficiency Jotun’s marine business segment. The Ath- uct innovations or in the ability to spot
try of marine coatings within the direct users, (like for cruise vessels). or providing longer lasting, low mainte- ens shipping cluster is the biggest and most opportunities that few others would see.
next 10 years? nance aesthetics, we want to continue to concentrated in the world, thus if you want The global activity of the Greek shipping
In the maritime industry there is deliver better and better solutions with to succeed as a global marine paint manu- fleet has also been an influencing factor
H. H.: Digitalization and the ship opera- a shifting focus from selling prod- increased value to our customers. On-go- facturer, being close to the Greek shipping behind Jotun’s setting up of both marine
tors’ ability to measure vessel performance, ucts to providing services. Do you ing research, development, business is of utmost importance. paints factories and distribution centres
also as a result of the paint performance. believe that this new trend will and innovation are critical to ensuring that The Greek shipping community in Ath- around the world for many years.
The most frequently used example of this affect marine coatings? If yes, we can continue to deliver competitive ens is, in my personal view, a powerhouse We’re looking forward to the next 50
is the performance of the Anti-Fouling and how? solutions to our customers with a favora- within global shipping. They are trendset- years in Greece.
its ability to keep the hull fouling free and ble balance of benefits versus cost. Each
with the lowest possible drag resistance H. H.: Yes, I truly believe it will. year Jotun invests a solid amount of our
when sailing. This has a direct impact on Digitalization and the “interpretation and annual turnover in our R&D functions, but
the bunker fuel bill the operator will be understanding” of Big Data will require a our innovation process is not just con-
paying. However, other paint products will deeper understanding of the effect of the fined to the labs. Using our internal online
also be playing a more significant role in applied coating system. innovation portal ‘Nova’ all colleagues in
this in the future, for instance through the Paint suppliers will, therefore, be “forced” Jotun world-wide can contribute with
onboard maintenance of the vessel and to focus more on the “total” quality of new, exciting ideas with the aim to deliv-
thus the vessel’s appearance in the mar- what they supply, i.e. both the product er increased value to our customers and
ket, and operational lifetime. A correctly itself AND its predicted performance. ensure a sustainable future for Jotun.
operated SeaStock Management Sys- This is something we HIGHLY welcome in
tem will not only be saving the operator Jotun, as it means that “lower quality prod- How would you describe the pro-
considerable maintenance cost through ucts sold through creative marketing” will file of the Greek shipowners?
reduced spending on products, and indeed gradually disappear from the market, as their What is the importance of the
on workload involved, but also be a posi- real performance level will be proven. Paint Greek market for Jotun?
tively influencing factor when it comes to suppliers will thus have to focus more on
S. C. : This year it is 50 years since Jotun
established its presence in Greece for the

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