04/12/2019
With its solutions in the specialty chemicals area, Sika makes an important global contribution to mega trends such as urbanization, e-mobility, and sustainable development. At the same time, the company helps buildings, infrastructure, and vehicles to be more sustainable, i.e. making them longer-lasting and resource-efficient, as well as environmentally friendly and harmless to human health.
INNOVATIVE. SUSTAINABLE. SUCCESSFUL.
The pace of change all around the world has never been faster than it is today. The reason for this is above all digitalization and its multifaceted downstream trends, which are fundamentally altering all walks of life. This is also true of the construction sector and the automotive industry. These are two key markets of Sika, a globally active, SMI-listed specialty chemicals company. So, if Sika wants to be successful in the future too, it will have to be highly innovative.
In 2018 alone, the research teams of Sika Technology AG developed more than 50 significant product innovations and registered 85 patents. The basis for these innovations includes new high-performance molecules with special functionalities, intelligent processing methods for polymer substances and surfaces, and customized laboratory equipment that facilitates the rapid transfer of research to industrial production.
Author and publisher Bernhard Ruetz, born in Zurich, is a business historian and owner of the publishing house Ars Biographica. In his books, Bernhard Ruetz gives insight from companies that exemplify ethics, sustainability and innovation. Ruetz and Dr. Thomas Streiff, Member of the Board of Directors, Partner and Member of the Executive Committee of consultancy Brugger & Partners Ltd., Zurich, met four Sika Senior Managers and discussed with them the strong relationship between technology, innovation, and sustainability from different points of view.
On the basis of quotes by Dominik Slappnig, Head of Communication and Investor Relations at Sika, Philippe Jost, Head of Construction, Raffaella Marzi, Head of HR and Compliance, and Dr. Urs Burckhardt, Head of Research, Bernhard Ruetz and Dr. Thomas Streiff highlighted the important relationship between sustainability focus, innovation culture and innovation outcomes.
More Value - Less Impact
Urs Burckhardt, Head of Research at Sika Technology AG, believes the company’s power of innovation is also due to its sustainability strategy: “Nowadays, sustainability is a basic prerequisite if Sika is to consolidate its leading market position with innovative products and services.” After all, given the backdrop of resource scarcity, growing populations, and rising temperatures, many innovations are sustainability-driven in the modern era. Under the slogan “more value – less impact,” Sika pursues the goal of extending the lifetimes of buildings and industrial applications, reducing the need for maintenance, and improving the efficiency of energy and materials. Another goal is to make the use of Sika products easier and safer. “Initiatives of this kind help customers in the construction sector and in industry to achieve their own sustainability goals when it comes to building efficiency or the use of materials in vehicle construction, for example,” explains Urs Burckhardt.
"Decentralized companies are closer to their customers " Dominik Slappnig, Head of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations