Courage for Innovation — Driving Sustainable Progress

Sika aims to innovate products that enable sustainable construction and transportation, reducing environmental impact along the value chain. Indeed, sustainability has become a key driver for R&D projects at Sika. It fuels the quest for alternative, renewable materials, low carbon solutions, new recycling concepts more efficient production methods like modular building, resource efficiency, healthier and safer spaces for living and working, and digitally enhanced solutions. 

Sika helps its customers overcome challenges by developing innovative products in response to stricter climate-related and chemical regulations, growing sustainability demands. Customer-centricity in both innovation and sustainability encompasses close collaboration with customers and market partners to address specific customer requirements while integrating sustainable materials and practices. Sika’s goal is to foster long-term partnerships and sustainable growth. 

Digitalization and AI have a profound impact on the way we are working, this applies to Research and Development (R&D) too. AI-powered systems enable advanced data analysis, accelerating the discovery process and fostering innovation. This transformation brings cultural shifts. Sika’ s culture of collaboration evolves to embrace agility and adaptability, as teams adopt iterative and data-driven approaches.

With over 1,800 Research and Development employees, Sika operates 16 Global Technology Centers and over 100 regional and local laboratories. These centers provide expertise in materials science, chemistry, and digital technologies, forming one of the industry's most integrated innovation networks. Here, researchers, engineers, and customers collaborate to turn ideas into tangible, market-ready solutions.

Sika's concept (“Nuage”) for digitalizing R&D processes worldwide facilitates collaboration across teams in different geographies and enables researchers to conduct experiments and simulations using digital tools and technologies. The global digital laboratory allows researchers to collaborate with teams worldwide in real time, and access a wide range of data, software, and hardware resources.

Sika's approach to open innovation emphasizes collaboration with external partners to accelerate innovation and strengthen Sika’s overall business by expanding its product portfolio, optimizing processes, and reinforcing its leadership in technological and market advancements. Sika partners with universities and research institutions, tapping into cutting-edge research and specialized expertise in areas such as materials science, sustainability, and construction technology. Collaboration with startups and industry leaders aims to exchange knowledge and co-develop breakthrough technologies that drive efficiency and create new market opportunities.

Exclusivity is a crucial advantage in bringing new products and technologies to market. It not only shields the company from imitators but also assures customers that whenever they see the Sika name, they are receiving an original product of the highest quality. In 2024, Sika reported 264 new inventions (2023: 188), leading to 125 initial patent applications (2023: 108). By the close of 2024, Sika's patent portfolio had grown to include 1,606 distinct patent families, totalling 5,772 (2023: 5,680) individual national patents.