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.
In-depth Knowledge
Sika complements its internal research efforts by working with major universities and scientific institutes on fundamental technologies. One example is the “Mesh Mould” project, in partnership with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and other partners, in the development of a robotized construction method for building load-bearing concrete elements of any shape without formwork.
Combining Sika Expertise with Latest Research Developments
Sika also participates in international research projects and networks, such as the “Lorcenis” and the “EnDurCrete” projects. These grant-supported consortium projects run under the HORIZON 2020 program of the European Union and center on durable, environmental friendly reinforced concrete for energy infrastructure, industrial, and offshore applications.
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.
Sika Master Award
2018 was the ninth year in which the Sika Master Award was presented to two authors of an outstanding master’s thesis in the field of civil engineering, based on the recommendation of ETH’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geomatic Engineering. Sika also participates in ETH Zurich’s Partnership Council Sustainable Construction. This interdisciplinary forum promotes dialog on current research topics, supports resources, and knowledge transfer, and encourages the launch of joint research projects in the field of sustainable construction.
DFAB House
Sika supports NEST, an initiative of Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). Empa is an research institute of the ETH Domain and conducts cutting-edge materials and technology research. NEST accelerates the process of innovation in the building sector. The DFAB HOUSE opened in 2019 on the NEST building of Empa and Eawag in Switzerland. It is the world's first inhabited "house" that was digitally planned, and built largely digitally. The construction technologies were developed by the ETH Zurich in collaboration with partners like Sika.