Akzo warns of painter shortage because it backs robotic to ease labour crunch

Dulux proprietor Akzo Nobel has warned of a “large shortage” of painters and interior designers exacerbated by Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic because the group backs a start-up growing a paint robotic to ease the labour crunch.

The corporate’s UK head known as on the federal government to assist resolve employee shortages that he stated was creating “large delays” within the development of latest buildings.

“Particularly within the UK, we see a giant shortage of painters . . . We’re actually, actually involved,” stated José Antonio Jiménez Lozano.

“Covid, clearly, was taking part in a job in that as a result of some folks switched their occupation . . . With Brexit, we have now additionally seen a discount of the individuals who had been coming from another European international locations.”

Confronted with recruitment issues, Akzo has expanded past producing paints and began investing in know-how that it hopes will tackle the labour scarcity.

The Dutch group has acquired a minority stake in a French start-up, Les Companions, which has developed a robotic that may spray paint massive surfaces by means of a primarily automated course of.

The corporate has not too long ago been demonstrating a prototype to clients within the UK. Antoine Rennuit, chief govt of Les Companions, stated he anticipated accomplished merchandise to be obtainable subsequent 12 months.

However the robotic, one in all a handful in improvement by completely different firms, is a way from reaching the capabilities of a human painter.

It’s at current restricted to engaged on flat floor and may spray paint as much as a peak of three.5 metres.

“I don’t assume [the robot] will [become commonplace] as a result of, on the finish of the day, the portray and adorning job may be very [detailed],” stated Jiménez. “You continue to want a human contact.”

“There are a variety of obstacles” to creating the robotic sensible on a constructing website, stated one proprietor of a portray firm throughout an indication at Akzo’s UK headquarters. But when these may be overcome, it will be useful to “depart it and set it to work” on a giant development.

The know-how funding, nonetheless, might show useful for Akzo within the mild of the labour shortages.

In keeping with a Dulux survey of 348 business members this 12 months, 61 per cent of UK portray and adorning companies had been discovered to be struggling to search out staff with the required abilities.

Even earlier than Brexit, UK companies had been contending with an ageing workforce, with Akzo’s analysis suggesting at the very least 60 per cent of painters are greater than 50 years previous, Jiménez stated.

The labour scarcity additionally threatens to carry again the completion of constructions within the UK, which has lengthy been affected by a housing scarcity, and heighten stress on companies hit by inflation.

For Akzo, which final month suspended its revenue steerage for 2023, the employee issues are including to difficulties over China’s actual property disaster, which has hampered operations in one in all its key markets.

“We’re doing the whole lot we will. [But] we want help from the authorities,” stated Jiménez, suggesting extra wanted to be carried out to help apprentice programmes and make portray a lovely occupation.

Requested if he would help a particular visa for painters, he stated the subject had been mentioned with the British Coatings Federation, an business group, though the corporate has not formally known as for this.