While we wait to find out what 2020 has in store, we retrace the most important moments of 2019.
2019 was for sure as uncertain as it was dynamic and interesting.
The digital transformation has taken place and industry 4.0 proved to be one of the most pursued roads, which very often led to the affirmation of the economic and financial success of many companies.
2019 brought with it several innovations for our sector, especially when it comes to technology: from the first AVG used in the automotive sector for the transport of car bodies, to the two-tone painting without the need for masking and without overspray, up to the first voice-controlled laboratory digital assistant.
At the beginning of the year, the media predicted a recession for all the major world economic powers. In part, these forecasts came true: The International Monetary Fund said that the pace of global growth in 2019 has been the slowest since the financial crisis of a decade ago [see note 1].
Many factors have played a role in this: geopolitical instability, social tensions such as the ones in Venezuela, rising trade barriers caused by the continuous power play between countries such as the United States and China, as well as the general political uncertainties of the Old Continent, affected by Brexit and the spectre of Germany's recession.
There were some jolts in the surface treatment sector as well, such as the beginning of a restructuring procedure of one of the most important players in the sector. However, during our travels around the world, we perceived a general feeling of trust and dynamism. This is proved by the several success stories reported on our pages and that show how our sector is more active than ever.
A key role in 2019 was played by sustainability: last year more than ever before, both individual and corporate environmental consciences have been awakened from the torpor that has afflicted them for far too long.
Various actions have been undertaken by governments, institutions and companies to reduce the impact on the environment as much as possible - some a mere marketing operation, others crucial.
For our part, we committed to offering our readers a closer look at the policies and actions undertaken by companies in our sector through the Sustainability section of our magazines and the Five on Five initiative. What we found is that they seem to be attentive and proactive in terms of sustainable solutions.
In addition to the new section on Sustainability, lots of innovations concerned ipcm®: in March, ipcm®_Academy training courses were certified for the first time by the Regione Lombardia and are now valid at European level.
April saw a new version of our magazine ipcm®_Protective Coatings, dedicated to corrosion protection technologies in the heavy industry, which featured new graphics and content.
In May, we set a new record: ipcm® special on automotive, with its 220 pages, was the richest issue in terms of variety of content and advertising sales.
July was the month of EOS Mktg&Communication. The ipcm® magazines' publishing house turned 10 and we properly celebrated at the wonderful Rossini Art Site with an event that had the aim of combining art, nature and industry.
After the holidays, September and October were characterized by two firsts: the first YouTube channel and the first ipcm® webinar.
The end of the year was important for trade fairs: not only did we participate in our first fair in the USA, but in December we also formalized the new role of EOS as the official agency for Europe of FABTECH Mexico.
The smart 2020 of ipcm®
The new year promises to be just as full of innovations.
In an increasingly smart, digital and interconnected world, ipcm® has embraced this concept by offering readers and customers both printed and digital magazines, a multi-channel distribution, original and exclusive content and a highly interactive social community.
In 2020 we intend to continue on this path, offering new formats and new editorial initiatives. We will introduce two new sections on our magazines: one dedicated to raw materials and a second one that - in the wake of the theme that inspired our 10 years anniversary event - will collect interviews, articles, curiosities related to the link between nature and industry, art and surfaces.
The training offer will also entail important changes: a new graphic layout will frame ipcm_Academy's increasingly structured training courses, which will train tomorrow's painting technologists.
Certainly, one of the most innovative and ambitious projects concerns EOS: a new website and blog will carry forward the relaunch of EOS' brand identity - which began with the new logo redesigned for its ten years - and its marketing, communication and event organization services. We aim at putting the skills acquired in these fields at the service of our customers.
Once again, we invite you to follow us during 2020 - through our magazines and our social media channels - and to visit us during our stops around the world: the first appointment is set for April 21 in Karlsruhe, Germany, to kick off the eighth edition of PaintExpo, the world's leading trade fair for industrial painting technologies.
Note 1: Source: www.imf.org