Adhesive and Sealant Council Logo

ASC Innovation Award Program

Innovate and Secure the Future with ASC
CLICK TO VIEW NOMINATION PACKAGE

Submission deadline is January 31, 2026.

The ASC Innovation Awards Program is designed to recognize innovation in adhesive and sealant product developments. These awards identify significant impact chemistries that contribute to downstream industries unmet needs and advancements in technology. The award is intended to foster and encourage innovation across the industry and academia.


Who Can Submit?

Raw material suppliers or manufacturers of adhesives and or sealants as well as academia can submit for the award.

CLICK to view and download the Nomination Package.

Dates & Requirements:
  • Call for Entries to ASC: September 2025
  • Closing Date for Award Submittals to ASC: January 31, 2026
  • Judging Completed by: February 28, 2026
  • Winners Informed via ASC by: March 10, 2026
  • Awards Ceremony at the Annual ASC Conference in Nashville, TN April 20-22, 2026
There is ONE Award Category for 2026:
  • The 2026 Innovation Award (voted BEST innovation)
  • ASC will also recognize the first and second runners-up
How Winners Will be Recognized:
  • Awarded at a special ceremony at the 2026 ASC Annual Conference in Nashville, TN April 2026
  • The Innovation Award Winner will receive the beautiful crystal award recognizing the achievement
  • The award winner will be featured on a banner stand graphic displayed at the conference
  • Runners up will also receive awards to recognize their innovations
  • Winner and runners up are asked to present at the conference in special sessions
  • Featured in the official Innovation Awards press release and on the Innovation Awards web page
  • Be promoted on social media to the industry

Dr. Greg Schueneman, US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory

Dr. Greg Schueneman is a Supervisory Materials Research Engineer and Project Leader of the Forest Biopolymer Science & Engineering group at the US Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin. His research is focused on the conversion of forest based nanomaterials for use in traditionally petroleum based materials applications such as adhesives, coatings, sealants, and composites. Prior to joining the Forest Products Laboratory he had over 10 years of industrial experience.

Dr. Christopher C. White, Senior Managing Scientist at Ramboll 

Dr. White assists clients by solving technical problems related to the specification, reliability, and sustainability of polymeric materials used in various industries, including construction, infrastructure, transportation, chemicals, and utilities based on 29 years of professional experience. He is an externally recognized expert in the behavior of plastics and polymers. Dr. White has published and presented on a diverse range of polymer related subjects from behavior of poly fluorinated substances (PFAS), degradation of single use plastics, to the behavior of building envelope materials. 

Dr. White holds an MBA from Univ. of Maryland, in addition to a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and an AB in Chemistry from Wabash College. Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. White worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) in the Engineering Laboratory. Dr. White served as a Lecturer for the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

.

Marc Benevento, President - Industrial Market Insight

Marc Benevento is the founder and president of Industrial Market Insight, a consultancy focused on identifying organic growth opportunities for manufacturers and distributors of industrial products and materials by matching capabilities to unmet market needs.

His experience encompasses over 20 years with global multi-national manufacturers of industrial products in product development, business management, and marketing leadership roles in adhesives, composites, and metals serving the construction, energy, infrastructure, and transportation markets.

Marc's background includes nearly a decade in materials engineering at a global automotive OEM in addition to a variety of commercial roles in the chemical, composites, and adhesive industries. He has a passion for all aspects of product development, from discovering market needs, executing development, and commercializing new products, and is a practitioner and certified coach of New Product Blueprinting.

Mr. Benevento holds a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science & Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA.
2025 Innovation Award Winner - 3M

The primary award was presented to 3M and the team of Ryan McKenney, Chris Pattillo, Lili Qie, Andrew Horvath, Tom Schaefer and Taylor Hodne for their development “3MTM FastbondTM Pressure Sensitive Adhesive 1049”. For more information, click HERE to view a short video on this technology.

1st Runner Up went to Wacker for their entry titled “GENIOSIL® STP E140/340: Polymers for fast-curing, tin-free, creep resistant adhesives and sealants.” Toby Vick accepted the award. For more information, click HERE.

2nd Runner Up went to H.B. Fuller for a development titled “Rapid Strength Hybrid Reactive Hotmelt Adhesives for use in Auto Assembly”. Marlen Valverde accepted the award for the team. For more information about this development click HERE.

Click here to view all ASC Innovation Award winners.