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EC Podcast: the human factor in digitalisation
What does digitalisation mean for the future of coatings research and laboratory work? In the latest European Coatings Podcast, editor Yeray López talks with Detlef Gysau, managing director of Perfeco and long‑time laboratory automation expert, about how the digital shift is reshaping R&D and production.
Gysau, formerly with Akzo Nobel, OMEA International and Chemspeed Technologies, shares his experience from more than a decade of helping coatings companies automate and digitalise their labs. He explains how automation began as a quest for higher throughput and now forms the base for AI‑supported materials design. He describes how connected instruments, data management and automated testing accelerate time to market and make labs more attractive workplaces. Digital tools take over repetitive tasks, letting scientists focus on creativity and problem solving.
Addressing job concerns, Gysau believes digital labs actually create demand for new roles such as lab orchestrators, data stewards and AI operators. With the shortage of skilled staff, digitalisation helps companies appear as forward‑looking employers. Regulation and data handling under the European AI Act are also discussed. Gysau calls digital transformation a long‑term journey that needs clear planning of workflows and training rather than a quick technological upgrade.
Tune in to hear his predictions for what a fully digital coatings lab could look like in five years – and how today’s R&D teams can prepare.
Listen now to the latest EC Podcast:
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