Sika engages in a global network of research, science, education, business, and community partners. The company maintains and steers a series of initiatives which the development of partnerships, provide opportunities for collaboration through the facilitation of global networking and dialogue.
Culture of Collaborative Innovation
Sika complements its internal research efforts by working with major universities and scientific institutes on fundamental technologies. Sika engages in the cooperation with renowned universities and scientific institutionsthroughout the world such as ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich), EPFL(Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne), Princeton University (USA), the Beijing University ofChemical Technology (PRC), and similar institutions across the globe. In addition, Sika's subsidiaries cooperate with research institutes in their local markets.
Anticipating Customer Needs
Southeast University, located in Nanjing, China, is one of Sika’s main partners in exploring technology leadership in the field of concrete and concrete admixtures. During the scientific & technical cooperation with Southeast University, two projects, “Investigation into Influential Regularities and Mechanisms of Sika Water Reducing Agent on Concrete Volume Change” and “Investigation into Influential Regularities and Mechanisms of Sika Water Reducing Agent on Concrete Durability” were carried out. Some research results achieved in this cooperation have been applied successfully in several construction projects.
Opportunities for the Best People
In collaboration with universities throughout the world, Sika is offering innovative and challenging internships and traineeships focusing on specialty chemicals in the field of research and development.
Universities
As project sponsor, Sika engages in a lively dialog with ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich), the University of Fribourg, EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne), the ESPCI ParisTech (School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry of the City of Paris), the University of Burgundy, Princeton University, the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the University of Tokyo, and similar institutions across the globe. Sika’s local subsidiaries co-operate with research institutes and provide mutual support.
Innosuisse
Sika has intensified its cooperation with Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, an entity under public law, to promote science-based innovation in the interests of industry and society. The company is part of a program dedicated to bringing together the essential players from science, industry, and society in Switzerland in promising fields of innovation. Sika expanded its joint research on wood-concrete composite elements for innovative and sustainable hybrid structures for the building sector with the successful testing of hybrid precast elements to reduce the amount of concrete in industrial construction.
Research on Concrete Constriuction
Sika is engaged in the “Mesh Mould” project, in partnership with ETH Zurich and other partners, in developing a robotized construction method for building load-bearing concrete elements of any shape without formwork. Sika also participates in international research projects and networks, such as the “InnovaConcrete” project, which focuses on durable, environmentally friendly reinforced concrete for demanding infrastructure and the conservation of cultural heritage. Furthermore, Sika is cooperating with the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), USA, and with the University of Sherbrooke, Canada, in concrete research.