From Sealants to Smart Systems: H.B. Fuller's Vision for the Future of Adhesives

H.B. Fuller's Senior Vice President of Global R&D, Xinyu Du, shares how the company's innovation strategy is advancing sustainability, automation, and customer collaboration to shape the future of adhesives and sealants.

By Karen Parker, Editor-in-Chief, ASI

As a global leader in adhesives innovation, H.B. Fuller continues to evolve its research and development priorities to meet the dynamic needs of modern manufacturing, sustainability goals, and emerging technologies. In this exclusive interview with ASI, Xinyu Du, senior vice president of global R&D at H.B. Fuller, shares insights into how the company’s innovation strategy is shaped by customer collaboration, digital transformation, and a strong commitment to sustainability. From process improvements and automation to breakthroughs in energy-efficient materials, Du outlines how the company balances incremental enhancements with game-changing technologies to stay ahead in a rapidly shifting industry landscape.

The discussion also highlights recent product innovations that exemplify this strategy, including the development of Millennium PG-1 EF ECO2™ roofing sealant and KÖDISPACE^® 4SG^® insulating glass technology. These innovations reflect H.B. Fuller's broader mission to create solutions that not only solve immediate customer challenges but also support long-term environmental and economic goals.

ASI: H.B. Fuller has long been a leader in adhesives innovation. What are your current R&D priorities, and how have they evolved in the last five years?

Xinyu Du: As the world's largest pureplay adhesives manufacturer, H.B. Fuller is changing the world with our innovations. Our adhesive solutions are in nearly every type of product and finished good around the world.

H.B. Fuller's current research and development (R&D) priorities are focused on application-driven innovation, sustainability, and alignment with emerging technologies like AI and energy efficiency. Over the past five years, the company has shifted toward addressing new market demands, such as those driven by the rise of data centers and digital infrastructure. For example, the recently announced Millennium PG-1 EF ECO2 roofing sealant was developed with sustainability and ease of application in mind, particularly for contractors and commercial roofing applications.

We are always tracking and leading market trends. Examples include electric vehicles (EV), AI, energy revolution, medical technology, and smart devices, among many others. We develop innovative solutions to make people's lives safer, more convenient, and smarter.

Innovation is no longer just about formulation but also about process innovation, automation, and energy reduction. 22 percent of H.B. Fuller's revenue comes from new products introduced in the past five years. More than 50 percent of our SKU base is uniquely tailored to meet a specific customer's need and nearly 60 percent of new product development projects are focused on increasing the sustainability of our customers' end products.

ASI: How does your team balance breakthrough innovation with incremental product improvement?

Du: H.B. Fuller is a highly collaborative organization, which is one of our core values. We work across our business units and alongside our customers to innovate for the greater good of our business, the industry, and society.

Innovation doesn’t always have to be revolutionary; it can be evolutionary by partnering closely with customers and monitoring market trends. Incremental improvements are often driven by customer feedback and evolving application needs, while breakthrough innovations are developed to solve longstanding industry challenges. A great example of this is our KÖDISPACE 4SG insulating glass technology, which we developed and introduced to the market, and continue to improve to meet new customer requirements. These warm edge spacers play a crucial role in energy efficient window design by offering lower thermal conductivity compared to traditional aluminum spacers. This technology is a great example of how we focus our resources on breakthrough innovation and then improve it over time and in response to market demands.

By and large, about half of the innovation in products like Millennium PG-1 EF ECO 2 roofing sealant comes from formulation, and the other half from process improvements, such as automation and energy efficiency. This dual approach ensures both short-term enhancements and long-term technological leadership.

ASI: What role does customer collaboration play in shaping your R&D agenda?

Du: Customer collaboration is central to H.B. Fuller's innovation strategy. We innovate with customers, not just for them. This includes codeveloping solutions, understanding end-user challenges (like those faced by contractors, doctors, and packaging producers), and responding to real-time market shifts. One strong example of this is our recent Customer Innovation Award winner, CMC Packaging Solutions, which created an automated system for right-size packaging that was fueled by post-pandemic consumer demand for online shopping. This technology has been implemented by some of the world's most well-known retailers and is powered by a H.B. Fuller adhesive solution.

At H.B. Fuller, we view ourselves as a B2B enabler, supporting customers in upgrading their own products and technologies. This collaborative model is a longstanding and successful approach for H.B. Fuller. We are also very focused on sustainability, which is engrained in the values of our organization. In many areas we have developed and are developing solutions to enable low plastic usage, high biodegradability or bio-decomposability, and increased energy efficiency.

ASI: How is digitalization or smart manufacturing influencing the development of new adhesives or sealant solutions?

Du: Automation and process innovation are key components of our R&D. For example, the canister-based delivery system for Millennium EF ECO 2 roofing sealant improves efficiency, reduces energy use, and minimizes human error — hallmarks of smart manufacturing.

These innovations are part of a broader trend toward digitalization, where automated processes and data-driven decision making enhance product consistency, safety, and sustainability.

ASI: What excites you most about the future of adhesives and sealants, and where do you see the biggest R&D opportunities in the next 5–10 years?

Du: The future of adhesives and sealants is incredibly exciting, as they play a crucial role in enabling next-generation technologies. Adhesives and sealants are everywhere, from houses to rockets, from tissues to cell phones, from pickleball paddles to heavy-duty trucks and hospital operating rooms. The mission of adhesives and sealants is to enable world innovation, including:

• Smart life: The world's future is "smarter," including smart homes, smart vehicles, smart shopping, smart entertainment, etc.
• Automation: The world will be more automated in the future with faster, more efficient and accurate processes. H.B. Fuller is both enabling these innovations as well as implementing them across our supply chain.
• Sustainability: H.B. Fuller recognizes the critical need to evolve productions and processes to enhance sustainability for future generations.

Our R&D efforts will continue to focus on sustainability (already 60% of our portfolio is sustainability-related), energy efficiency, advanced materials for electronics, infrastructure, and medical procedures and process innovations to make the "impossible possible."