Adhesives and Sealants: The Invisible Materials Supporting European Industry

They are components that end consumers rarely notice, yet without them much of modern industry simply could not exist. From smartphones and electric vehicles to wind turbines and household appliances, adhesives and sealants are key enabling technologies that make the assembly, safety, durability, and efficiency of thousands of products possible. This strategic industry is now urging European institutions to safeguard competitiveness and innovation capacity.

Across Europe, the sector comprises more than 430 companies, around 650 manufacturing sites, and over 50,000 employees, generating an economic value of €20.7 billion. Reflecting its strong commitment to innovation, the industry invests €580 million annually in research and development, while 85% of companies are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

An Essential Technology for the Industrial Transition

 The importance of adhesives and sealants goes far beyond simply bonding materials together. These are tailor-made solutions designed for highly specialized applications and developed in close collaboration with Europe’s leading manufacturing industries.

In the electric mobility sector, for example, adhesives play a crucial role in battery pack assembly while enabling lighter vehicle body structures, helping to improve both driving range and energy efficiency. The renewable energy industry also relies heavily on these technologies: wind turbine blades require high-performance adhesives to ensure structural integrity and long-term reliability.

Electronics is another key application area. Smartphones, digital devices, and increasingly miniaturized components can only be manufactured using advanced bonding technologies capable of delivering exceptional precision, durability, and seamless integration of highly complex parts.

Because they are used across a wide range of industrial value chains, adhesives and sealants have become a fundamental enabler of European industrial innovation.

A Challenging Competitive Landscape

 Despite the sector’s strength, European manufacturers are facing an increasingly competitive global environment. Chemical production capacity continues to expand rapidly in several regions of the world, often supported by government policies that actively encourage industrial investment.

In Europe, however, persistently high energy costs continue to affect the entire value chain, increasing the cost of raw materials and intermediate products used in the manufacture of adhesives and sealants. This situation risks weakening the competitiveness of European producers compared with international rivals and, over time, encouraging the relocation of production and technological expertise.

The industry continues to support Europe’s high standards for chemical safety and environmental protection, while calling for these rules to be applied consistently to imported products as well.

Companies also point out that the growing overlap between European and national legislation, together with differing definitions and regulatory requirements across Member States, is creating an increasingly complex regulatory environment. This burden falls particularly heavily on SMEs, which make up the vast majority of the sector and are seeing administrative costs rise at the expense of investment and research activities.

Innovation Worth Preserving

 With its highly specialized expertise, sustained investment in research, and strong integration with Europe’s leading manufacturing industries, the adhesives and sealants sector represents a strategic pillar of the continent’s industrial competitiveness.

According to the industry, preserving this technological and manufacturing base in Europe will be essential not only for the sector’s own growth but also for the success of the major industrial transformations currently underway—from electric mobility and the energy transition to digitalization. For this reason, the sector is calling on European institutions to ensure that future industrial policies complement environmental objectives with a regulatory framework that encourages investment, innovation, and long-term competitiveness.

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