September 29: International Adhesive & Sealant Day shines a spotlight on the invisible technology holding the world together

There is a technology that quietly plays a role in much of our everyday lives. It is found in cars, buildings, smartphones, packaging and countless everyday products, yet it rarely takes center stage: adhesives and sealants.

Today, September 29, marks International Adhesive & Sealant Day, an international observance dedicated to an industry that is often overlooked, yet plays a crucial role across a wide range of applications and manufacturing sectors.

The initiative was established in 2022, during the World Adhesive and Sealant Conference in Chicago, following a proposal by the Japan Adhesive Industry Association and with the support of leading international industry associations. Its aim is to raise awareness of the role adhesives and sealants play in industry, innovation and everyday life.

An almost invisible presence

The strength of adhesives also lies in their discreet nature. Unlike screws, bolts and other mechanical fastening systems, they are often hidden within the finished product. Yet they can help determine its strength, durability, weight, impermeability and overall performance.

Adhesives and sealants are now used in thousands of applications, from homes and offices to vehicles, packaging and electronic devices. They are therefore much more than “glue” in the traditional sense: they are technologies that make it possible to assemble, protect and combine different materials.

This evolution has turned the sector into an important component of modern industrial supply chains. An adhesive solution can actually change the way a product itself is designed, reducing the need for mechanical fasteners, distributing stress more evenly or joining materials that would be difficult to assemble using conventional techniques.

From automotive to construction

One of the areas in which adhesives play a particularly significant role is the automotive industry. Adhesive technologies can contribute to reducing vehicle weight, an important objective in improving energy efficiency and supporting the development of electric mobility.

In construction, meanwhile, sealants are used to improve the air- and watertightness of buildings, helping to protect materials and enhance the efficiency of building envelopes.

Applications also extend to electronics, packaging, aerospace, energy, furniture and numerous manufacturing industries. In each of these fields, their function can vary: bonding, sealing, insulating, protecting or ensuring greater component durability.

The sustainability challenge

Among the issues transforming the sector is, naturally, sustainability. The adhesives and sealants industry is being called upon to develop formulations and processes capable of meeting increasingly stringent environmental requirements while maintaining the performance demanded by industrial applications.

The issue also concerns the finished product. In certain applications, adhesive bonding can help reduce a product’s weight, extend its service life or make it easier to repair. These factors can affect the consumption of materials and resources throughout a product’s life cycle.

Research is also moving in this direction, focusing on new formulations, alternative raw materials, more efficient production processes and solutions compatible with the principles of the circular economy.

An industry at the heart of innovation

The growing demand for lighter, more efficient and higher-performing materials is driving adhesive technology towards increasingly sophisticated applications.

Automotive, electronics, energy and transportation are among the industries where the ability to join different materials is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, the industry must address new regulations, the need to reduce environmental impact and the evolution of global supply chains.

In this context, adhesives and sealants are no longer simply assembly technologies. They are becoming an integral part of product design itself.

The value of what remains unseen

International Adhesive & Sealant Day was created precisely to draw attention to this often-overlooked dimension.

Behind an apparently simple bond there may be a complex combination of chemistry, materials research, engineering and industrial design. It is a technology that normally remains hidden, yet contributes to the performance and durability of a huge number of products.

September 29 therefore provides an opportunity to look differently at the objects we use every day. From cars to buildings, from packaging to electronic devices, part of the modern world is built around the ability to bond, seal, protect and extend service life.

And what consumers often perceive as an invisible technology represents, for industry, one of the tools through which products and processes can continue to be redesigned around innovation and efficiency.

Industry professionals will meet at ABS Europe 2026 – Adhesives Bonding & Sealants, the first event dedicated to adhesives, glues, sealants, foams, tapes, resins, coatings, laminates and films in Italy and the Mediterranean region, taking place from October 27 to 29, 2026, at Vicenza Exhibition Center.