“We are protecting the most important assets of our customers — and beautifying them at the same time,”

Sofia Mavropoulou, Vice President of Sustainability at Hempel.

In this episode of Next stop: Green Business, we visit Hempel’s headquarters just outside Copenhagen and tour their newly opened R&D centre. There, we explore how the company is reshaping the role of coatings in the green transition — from lowering emissions to extending the lifespan of essential infrastructure.

Take marine vessels, for example. With smoother coatings that reduce drag, ships require less fuel to travel the same distance. Since 2013, Hempel has applied its high-performance coating, Hempaguard, on more than 5,000 vessels — and the result is tangible:

“We have saved 29 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions,”

Emilie Barriau, Chief Technology Officer and EVP.

And it doesn’t stop at sea. Hempel’s coatings also protect wind turbines — from foundation to blade — helping extend their service life, reduce material use, and lower maintenance needs.

“You have less need for frequent maintenance, less need for new materials… It’s really helping industries lower emissions and operate more efficiently,” says Barriau.

Innovation by design

Sustainability at Hempel is driven by a clear set of priorities: commitment and innovation. Their belief is that sustainable business must also be commercially successful, and innovation is the engine that powers both goals.

“Sustainability is calling for innovation,” says Mavropoulou. “And it needs to be a commercial success to be truly sustainable.”

That approach includes developing coatings that reduce waste, increase asset longevity, and lower energy consumption — all of which directly benefit customers’ operating costs. Hempel sees this not just as a moral imperative, but as a competitive advantage.

To align its sustainability and innovation efforts, Hempel merged its R&D and sustainability departments, a strategic decision aimed at embedding green thinking from the design phase.

“If you want sustainability by design, this is where you can really make a difference,” says Barriau. “Having R&D and sustainability working together is a fantastic combination.”

Challenges, momentum — and a new mindset

As a company rooted in chemistry, Hempel also faces the pressure of tightening regulations on substances used in coatings. But rather than view these constraints as setbacks, they see them as fuel for innovation.

“Our toolbox is shrinking,” says Barriau. “So we need to find other ways to solve problems, and rethink our products through a sustainability lens.”

That mindset extends to internal metrics, too. Instead of tracking every data point, Hempel focuses on what actually moves the needle.

“You start with excitement and want to measure a lot,” admits Barriau. “But we’ve learned we need to focus on what really drives impact.”

Ultimately, Hempel sees sustainability not as an add-on, but as the business model itself. For a company whose products are often invisible, the results speak for themselves — through the reduced fuel bills of a shipping line, or the extended service life of a turbine.

““Why sustainability? Because it’s the new business model — it’s the way to do business. It’s a win-win for future-proofing our company and delivering a healthy bottom line”

Emilie Barriau, Chief Technology Officer and EVP.

About the podcast: Next stop: Green business

Next stop: Green business is part of State of Green’s podcast universe and offers short, accessible episodes of no more than 15 minutes. Each episode focuses on one company’s green transition journey, recorded on-site to capture both atmosphere and authentic voices.

The podcast blends interviews, real-time conversations and on-site impressions, all shaped around a recurring set of questions that invite honest reflection and personal insights. Besides Hempel, the podcast series includes episodes with companies such as Danfoss, Grundfos, ROCKWOOL, PensionDanmark, FLS, NKT, Schneider Electric and VELUX. New episodes will drop throughout the remainder of 2025.

The miniseries is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast and stateofgreen.com.