The \"shared coating factory\" has arrived – will it be a lifeline for small and medium-sized coating companies?

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Recently, the popularity of \"shared factories\" has risen again. It is reported that this new model of sharing is gaining traction in regions such as Shandong, and it is attracting the attention of an increasing number of coating companies. Of particular note is Shandong Juneng Xingye’s “water-based coatings sharing factory,” which is known as “the first water-based coatings sharing factory in the country.” At present, there is not enough evidence to confirm the accuracy of these claims, and it remains to be seen whether they are just a gimmick; however, they have caused quite a stir in the coating industry, leading to various opinions. The sharing economy has become popular; this is an undeniable fact. The rise of the sharing economy has spurred the restructuring of resources in many industries, and many companies that were among the first to get involved have seen an improvement in their business performance. After the hype surrounding various sharing services such as shared bicycles, shared power banks, shared umbrellas, shared basketballs, shared sleeping pods, shared fitness equipment, and shared BMW cars, the public began to joke that the \"sharing economy had been overused.\" On the other hand, new sharing concepts always emerge to address the situation. When alternative sharing concepts that do not focus on \"raising funds through storytelling or spending money to expand scale\" emerge, they tend to prompt more reflection among the public. Recently, the sharing economy has been on the rise, with a new economic model based on \"sharing production capacity\" and \"shared factories\" emerging across the country. For traditional factories, fixed capital investments are tied to the manufacturing facilities, making relocation costly. In addition, raw material and labor costs keep rising over the years, and mechanical equipment can cost millions of yuan; as a result, small and medium-sized enterprises find it difficult to obtain financing and thus struggle to expand their production. Moreover, business operations follow seasonal patterns, with several months in a year during which there are hardly any orders, leaving the equipment and staff idle yet still requiring maintenance and salary payments. The survival crisis for small and medium-sized enterprises is growing day by day; numerous negative factors have pushed traditional factories into a situation where expenses exceed revenues, and many of these enterprises have thus failed. The emergence of “shared factories” undoubtedly solves most of these problems. Small and medium-sized business owners no longer need to worry about high factory rental costs, nor do they have to purchase expensive equipment or deal with the problem of unemployed staff. At the same time, pollution is reduced and safety is improved, making it easier to pass environmental inspections and safety audits. “\"Shared factories\" is a new term to most people, but in fact, such factories have existed for a long time. It is understood that there is such a “shared factory” in Yanluo Sub-district, Bao’an District, Shenzhen. From large equipment to workers, from creativity to brands, everything can be shared. Dozens of enterprises and teams have gathered here; under the model of shared manufacturing, they work together to support one another and overcome the challenges faced by small and micro manufacturing businesses. Some companies on the verge of collapse were revived, even achieving a \"halving of staff while doubling efficiency.\" For the coatings industry today, \"shared factories\" might represent an opportunity. Especially in the face of recent pressures related to environmental protection and safety regulations, coupled with continuous fluctuations in raw material prices, rising costs, and declining production capacity, many small and medium-sized coating enterprises have no way out and a large number of them are on the verge of closure or bankruptcy. Inevitably, traditional paint manufacturing plants also face common issues such as factory rent, costs for raw materials and labor, machinery and equipment, as well as difficulties in obtaining financing. The \"paint sharing factory\" based on internet platforms commercializes elements such as research and development and production, allocates production efficiently, and helps to shift competition in the industry toward collaboration. It also allows small and medium-sized enterprises to escape the high costs associated with the continuous rise in prices of equipment and raw materials, and to take advantage of the conveniences offered by the sharing economy. Struggling to survive in difficult circumstances, can \"shared factories\" become a savior for small and medium-sized coating companies? It remains to be seen whether the successful models from other industries can be replicated