Polymer-based coatings are essential in modern societies, but their no/low (bio)degradability and low recyclability raise environmental and health concerns. In response to this urgent challenge, NEXTGENCOAT was established, bringing together a multidisciplinary team of renowned researchers from three R&D units in UAveiro: CESAM, CICECO, and TEMA. The NEXTGENCOAT’s major goal is to develop novel multifunctional, bio-sourced, and eco-friendly polymeric coatings with high (bio)degradation rates at the end of service life, which can be revalorised and upcycled under a sustainable and circular approach. Innovative, eco-friendly coatings will be developed to protect objects from weathering (in less demanding applications) or metallic structures from corrosion or biofouling in high-performance applications (e.g., aeronautical, maritime, and offshore). After service, end-of-life polymeric materials will be revalorised to produce novel added-value eco-products, bringing circularity into a sector that currently treats and disposes of these materials just as harmful waste. This strategy fully aligns with the EU Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
