Research
Sika conducts research across chemistry, materials and digital methods to provide tools which help to innovate faster and grow with sustainable,high-performance products. Our vision is to shape the future of the construction and manufacturing industry with our solutions.
Technology development takes place within the research teams and in close collaboration with the R&D departments. In addition, innovative research topics are pursued together with external partners from academia, industry, and start-up companies.
Strategic Fields of Research
Our strategic fields of research focus on advancing materials and technologies that enable more durable, sustainable, and high-performance product solutions for the construction and manufacturing industries.
Chemical building blocks and reaction mechanisms providing levers to add new features, increase performance parameters, facilitate application and realize cost/performance gains in curable polymer composite products, esp. adhesives, sealants, and coatings.
Materials and methods for increasing durability and safeguarding functionality of polymer composite products in weather-exposed applications, esp. roofing membranes, exterior paints.
Components and concepts for workability, activation and strength enhancement of cement-reduced low carbon concrete and mortars.
Sustainable chemicals and materials from biomass, waste streams and recycling, allowing to reduce product carbon footprint and provide alternative non-fossil supply sources.
Alternative mineral binders and supplementary cementitious materials with very low embodied energy/CO₂, towards cement-free construction materials.
Corrosion-free reinforcement solutions to replace steel rebars in structural construction.
Methods to promote circular economy, such as debonding/disassembly solutions and recycling processes.
Digital tools for increasing formulation efficiency, accelerating product development and monitoring service life functionality of building materials.
Sika Core Technologies
Sika’s global leadership in specialty chemicals is built on a strong foundation of five core technologies that shape the performance, durability, and sustainability of modern construction and industrial manufacturing. These technologies—concrete systems, cementitious systems, coating systems, thermoplastic systems, and adhesive systems,—form the backbone of Sika’s innovation, enabling tailored solutions for complex engineering challenges across diverse markets.
Sustainability
As part of the Sika Strategy 2028, we are sustainably engaged in three key areas: People, Planet, and Solutions. We aim to empower and develop our people, contribute to protecting natural resources and the planet, and cultivate our innovative and pioneering spirit to deliver solutions for a better, more sustainable future.
Intellectual Property
At Sika, intellectual property is a key driver of innovation and long-term value creation. We protect the inventions generated across our global innovation network by systematically securing relevant IP rights. This enables us to prevent imitation and reinforce Sika’s technological leadership in the market. In parallel, Sika carefully monitors third-party rights to ensure freedom to operate and enables the successful launch of new products and services.
Our IP portfolio focuses on Sika’s most valuable technologies and products and supports our business strategy. Guided by a responsible approach to intellectual property, we selectively share technologies with external stakeholders where this accelerates innovation, enhances customer value, or contributes to more sustainable solutions.
Digitalization
Sika uses digital technologies to make construction faster, more accurate, and more sustainable. Digital tools like the Sika Sand App help customers select the right products quickly and avoid material waste.
We are a leader in digital construction, offering all key technologies for industrial 3D printing—from materials to printing systems and software. This enables innovative designs, efficient workflows, and precise execution.
Sika also supports modular construction, advanced roofing systems with leak detection, and connected digital tools that increase automation and safety on construction sites.