Megatrends are the great changes in society that will effect us all, although predicting exactly what effect they will have is the hard part.

Humankind is notoriously bad at predicting the future. I love the famous quote from Thomas Watson, president of IBM in 1943 "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." 

One trend that is effecting New Zealand and other developed countries is the ageing of the population. We are living longer and are in much better health than the elderly of the past. Older people are more affluent and have different expectations of their retirement years and the ability to afford and demand better healthcare.

Investment in residential aged care facilities, health care practices and hospitals will continue to increase. These demand specific coatings. Research completed by Bayer Material Science found that durability and low odour were the properties most required by specifiers in this space. Durability in the interior coatings sense can be measured by the stain resistance and scrub resistance, along with resistance to chemical cleaners.

Dulux has recently launched Professional SteriGuard, a custom formulated product specifically for this demanding environment.