Frontiers in Wood Coatings

Dr. Vitale studied at the University of Bologna, earned a PhD at the University of California Santa Barbara and did research at the Ohio State University. Then, he found gainful employment at the Eastman Kodak Company, formulating color negative films. Before that line of work was made obsolete, he moved back to Europe, developing plastic additives, security systems, adhesives and, since 2009, wood coatings at IVM Chemicals, earning, along the way, 16 patents. Dr. Vitale is currently trying to contribute, for the little he can, to a more sustainable world through more sustainable coatings.

Thomas Bernhofer studied coatings chemistry and technology at University Paderborn and graduated 1990 as Diplom-Chemieingenieur. He worked 22 years in different R&D positions in the paint manufacturing industry (automotive coatings, decorative and wood-coatings). July 2012 he joined Synthomer Deutschland GmbH and is now Technical Service Manager Coatings Europe, with a focus on speciality coatings (wood and metal coatings) and DACH region.

Shaun Birss is Technical Applications Manager for Coatings at Ingevity, where he focuses on advanced polyurethane technologies and polycaprolactone polyol development. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry and Chemistry and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice, combining scientific depth with strong commercial and strategic understanding. With more than a decade of experience across the coatings value chain, Shaun has worked in formulation, production, technical support, scale-up, application, and commercial implementation before moving into raw material and resin innovation. He is also qualified in ISO 17025 internal auditing, coatings inspection, and project management, and specialises in translating coating chemistry into practical, high-performance solutions for industrial applications.

Franco Bulian, a graduate in chemistry, is the general director of CATAS, the largest European laboratory in the wood and furniture sector. Franco Bulian is member of different national and international standardization committees and also author of several technical books.
Since 2007, Franco Bulian has been a professor and the holder of the course “Furniture Materials and Technologies” in the Double Degree program (Master degree and Master of Science) at the University of Trieste and the University of Applied Sciences in Oswestfalen-Lippe (Germany).

Elena Conti is a biologist with an early training in biotechnology. She joined CATAS — Italy’s leading testing and certification in the wood and furniture sectors  — in 2002 and has since directed the biological testing laboratory. There she manages assessments of wood durability, the efficacy of wood-protection treatments against decay fungi, and the antibacterial performance of surface finishes. She currently also leads the Surface Testing departments, supervising characterization tests for wood coatings and other finishing materials. She serves on national and international standardization committees for wood durability and surface performance.

Boris Forsthuber works at Holzforschung Austria in Vienna and is head of the working group “surface science”. He studied wood science at the Univeristy of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna and material chemistry at TU Wien. His main working areas are wood coatings for interior and exterior applications. His work focusses on statistical and numerical modelling as well as printed electronics.

Stefan Friebel earned his PhD in Polymer Chemistry from Durham University (UK) in 1995, focusing on solid-state NMR investigations of block copolymers. He joined Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in 1996 and is presently a Senior Project Manager in the Department of Binders and Coatings at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research (WKI). His research centers on the synthesis, formulation, and characterization of novel biobased functional resins for coatings, including polyurethane dispersions, alkyds, acrylate dispersions, and acrylate-free UV-curable coatings. His work emphasizes the use of both newly sourced and existing naturally derived raw materials for functional coatings, chiefly for exterior applications. The building blocks originate from vegetable oils, sugars, by-products from the sugar industry, and lignin derived from pulp and paper production, as well as from newly established biorefineries.

Dr. Roxanne Hubesch is a Technical Marketing Manager for Surface Modifiers at Lubrizol, advising customers and bringing innovative wax additives solutions in areas such as inks and coatings. Previous to this role she gained an extensive academic knowledge in surface science, materials chemistry and chemical engineering.

Christine Louis has more than twenty-five years of experience in the coating and ink industry and is working for Evonik Coating Additives since 2017 as one of the technical experts for decorative coatings. Christine focuses strongly on the development of novel additives for decorative coatings, such as surfactants, defoamers, dispersants, etc., in line with the Evonik’s sustainability approach.

Andrew Mason has been working at EGE KIMYA for the last six and a half years. In his current role as the R & D Director Andrew is responsible for overseeing the development of new products, and the application labs at EGE KIMYA. Under his guidance his young team has been instrumental in the development and commercialisation of new products and processes in the EGE KIMYA range. Andrew has working in the field of metal carboxylates and catalysis for 23 years and in that time has been responsible for the introduction of new technologies and numerous products to the market. Prior to this he gained knowledge of coatings during 8 years working on the development and testing of alkyd and unsaturated polyester resins. He draws on this wealth of knowledge and experience to guide formulators in the optimisation of their products.

Michele Mazzi brings over 18 years of experience in product management and business development to the table. Currently serving as the Global Product Manager for Lamberti’s Surface Treatment Division, Michele works on devising and executing global product range strategies and overseeing key R&D and innovation projects. Prior to his current role, Michele served as the Business Development Manager for Lamberti’s Industrial Coating & Ink Ingredients Business Unit, where he successfully managed Far East business operations and spearheaded new business development initiatives across various Asian markets. His responsibilities extended to global sales and technical management within the metal coating sector. Before that, he was a Product Development Manager and Laboratory Manager within the Paper Business Unit, where he led product range management and development projects involving guar gum derivatives and water-based polyurethane dispersions. Prior to joining Lamberti, Michele gained valuable experience is Research & Development Laboratory at Sasol, where he managed R&D projects focused on alkylbenzene and its derivatives.

Steffen Onclin was borne in the Netherlands. After obtaining his PhD at the University of Twente in 2004, he worked in several R&D functions in the Netherlands and Switzerland with focus on Formulation Additives. In 2009, he joined BASF in Ludwigshafen (Germany), where he was global product development manager for more than 10 years. Since 2022, he is the global product line expert for dispersing agents.

Dr. Steffen Romanski holds a PhD in chemistry and has been working intensively for over a decade on the industrial use of renewable raw materials and thus also on the development of sustainable solutions for the chemical industry. After studying chemistry at the University of Cologne, he completed his doctorate there in 2012 in the field of organic chemistry. He then deepened his scientific expertise as a postdoctoral researcher at the renowned University of California, Berkeley, where he conducted research in the field of natural product synthesis. He began his industrial career as a laboratory manager in the research and development of surfactants at Clariant Produkte Deutschland GmbH. He has been with BYK-Chemie GmbH since 2018, initially as Head of Technical Surface Homecare and Industrial Solutions. Since March 2021, he has been responsible for the Wood and Furniture Coatings division as Head of Global End Uses.

Claudia Schirp is research scientist and deputy head of the Department for Binders and Coatings at Fraunhofer-Institute for Wood Research, WKI. After completion of her studies in in food chemistry at Technical University Braunschweig, she joined the Fraunhofer WKI in 2002 and finished her PhD in 2008. She is member of the European standardization group “wood coatings”. Her research focus is on polymerization of bio-based binders and flame-retardant wood coatings.

Dr. Gerold Schmitt brings over 25 years of expertise in methacrylate chemistry, with a background in R&D, New Business Development, and Applied Technology. He earned his PhD in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Bayreuth, Germany. Today, he leads the Technical Service and Applied Technology for Evonik’s Specialty Methacrylates product line.

Holger Wach was born in 1968. He received his degree in Chemical Engineering, specializing in Paint and Coating Technology in Krefeld, 1993. His experience inlcudes the development of water-based coatings at a medium-sized paint manufacturer (architectural paints, industrial and anti-corrosion coatings, wood and furniture coatings and pigment pastes). His background shows application engineering and key account management at a binder manufacturer, including on-site customer support as well as laboratory management at a multinational corporation, including customer support and on-site plant trials. Since 2005, Holger has been employed at BYK with global travel activities and since 2012 he holds the title of Head of Laboratory for industrial wood coatings, supporting customers on site including training, etc.

Christopher Williams, Technical Marketing Manager EMEA for Hyperdispersants, has over three decades of experience in specialty additives for the coatings industry. He began his career at Zeneca Specialties in the 1990s, supporting product development within the Pigments & Additives Division at the Zeneca’s headquarters in the UK, which became part of Lubrizol’s Performance Coatings Group in 2004. He is responsible for the technical product management of dispersants. rheology modifiers and adhesion promoters, supporting applications in wood coatings, paints, inks, plastics, and composites. Christopher works closely with customers and industry partners worldwide, providing technical support for these additives and helping to translate unmet needs into innovative, high‑performance solutions.

Franco Bulian, a graduate in chemistry, is the general director of CATAS, the largest European laboratory in the wood and furniture sector. Franco Bulian is member of different national and international standardization committees and also author of several technical books.
Since 2007, Franco Bulian has been a professor and the holder of the course “Furniture Materials and Technologies” in the Double Degree program (Master degree and Master of Science) at the University of Trieste and the University of Applied Sciences in Oswestfalen-Lippe (Germany).

Stefan Friebel earned his PhD in Polymer Chemistry from Durham University (UK) in 1995, focusing on solid-state NMR investigations of block copolymers. He joined Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in 1996 and is presently a Senior Project Manager in the Department of Binders and Coatings at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research (WKI). His research centers on the synthesis, formulation, and characterization of novel biobased functional resins for coatings, including polyurethane dispersions, alkyds, acrylate dispersions, and acrylate-free UV-curable coatings. His work emphasizes the use of both newly sourced and existing naturally derived raw materials for functional coatings, chiefly for exterior applications. The building blocks originate from vegetable oils, sugars, by-products from the sugar industry, and lignin derived from pulp and paper production, as well as from newly established biorefineries.

Boris Forsthuber works at Holzforschung Austria in Vienna and is head of the working group “surface science”. He studied wood science at the Univeristy of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna and material chemistry at TU Wien. His main working areas are wood coatings for interior and exterior applications. His work focusses on statistical and numerical modelling as well as printed electronics.

Laurence Podgorski has a professorial thesis and a PhD in Wood Science and Polymers from the University of Lorraine, France. She is the coating expert at FCBA, the French Technological Institute for wood and furniture. She is responsible for research programmes in the field of wood protection. As a member of the European Committee for Standardization CEN/TC139/WG2 (exterior wood coatings) she has developed several standards for wood coatings including EN 927-6 (artificial weathering for wood coatings).

Peter Svane is M.Sc. (Chem. eng.) has been working with testing and R&D of coatings in industry and institutes 1970-1994.  Since then as part owner of Coating Consultancy Copenhagen.  Peter is Convenor of the European standardisation group CEN/TC 139/WG2 – Coatings for exterior wood since 20

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