Dutch company
AkzoNobel has embarked on a multi-million-euro global programme to expand and upgrade its network of Automotive Training Centres (ATCs) to upskill painters, bodyshop managers and OEM engineers on a new generation of coatings and technologies that will help the industry become more sustainable moving forwards.
For the initial phase, the company is investing 3 million euros to create new or upgrade existing sites in Europe, and Asia, Australia and Thailand. This programme is already underway and will continue to be rolled out throughout 2025.
As well as supporting bodyshops and the wider automotive industry in rethinking their approach to sustainability, AkzoNobel is also addressing a worldwide shortage of future talent. Around 300 trainees will be accommodated at each site in a typical year. Each of the facilities will be equipped with the latest spray booth technologies and AkzoNobel’s full suite of digital tools created for bodyshops to manage and monitor the high-tech process of vehicle repairs. These could include Carbeat, a production workflow tool, and PaintPerformAir (PPA), which helps bring even greater consistency and efficiency in the painting process.
AkzoNobel’s color technology will also continue to be a key feature of the ATCs, with sites being equipped with ColorMatchic, a digitally led color matching and mixing system. Visitors will see first-hand the efficiency and quality benefits that the automated mixing machine offers bodyshop managers and paint technicians.
The ATCs are being created, upgraded and equipped to accommodate local business, environmental and regulatory needs. AkzoNobel’s ATC in Belgium is the first to have undergone a major upgrade by moving to a new ‘state of the art’ facility. It was officially opened in September and it is the first ATC to feature a hydrogen-powered spray booth to help bodyshops significantly reduce their carbon emissions. It will also have a special air filtration system which produces clean air (up to 99%) which is filtered back out into the atmosphere. This was a particular requirement of the site to meet regulations brought in for businesses in close proximity to the local airport.
AkzoNobelAkzoNobel’s existing ATC in France will be expanded and developed to include a fully electric powered spraybooth, while an upgrade to an existing site in Spain includes two spray booths, developed in collaboration with
USI Italia, which consume significantly less energy in operation compared to current models. It will also feature a dedicated preparation area as part of AkzoNobel’s new ‘Rapid Repair Station’ concept, accelerating the end-to-end production process.
AkzoNobel has ATCs in more than 40 sites, across every major region where its customers are located, including Europe, North America, China, and the United Arab Emirates. Through these centres it will offer a wide range of training programmes including application training, product and system training, and training in new digital color processes. There will be an emphasis on quality improvement, process improvement, and repairs to radar capable vehicles as well as the next generation of electric vehicles (EVs).
Virtual reality (VR) technology is to be incorporated to support spray paint training with a simulator that mimics a fully customised paint application environment. Each of the centres will also provide environments for testing and developing new products including waterborne basecoats, topcoats and associated paint systems.
Patrick Bourguignon, managing director of AkzoNobel’s Automotive and Specialty Coatings business, said the company is building on its rich history of sharing expertise to raise standards. He added: “The automotive industry of the future requires painters who are fully conversant with the latest technologies and techniques. It also needs management and technicians who understand what is possible, and how different paints, application processes and digital technologies will transform the vehicle repair industry of the future.”
He concluded: “We know how important collaboration is to success and by investing in our global ATC network, we are supporting bodyshops and the wider industry on their journey to become even more sustainable and ensuring we have the future talent available to overcome a worldwide skills shortage.”