30. Mar 2026
Applications open for 2026 Polyurethane Innovation Award
The American Chemistry Council (ACC), through its Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI), has opened applications for the 2026 Polyurethane Innovation Award, recognising breakthrough technologies and initiatives across the sector.
Entries will be accepted until June 19, 2026, with the winner to be announced at the 2026 Polyurethanes Technical Conference in Orlando, Florida.
The long-running award programme honours companies and individuals bringing new polyurethane products, processes and applications to market, reflecting the industry’s continued emphasis on innovation and commercialisation.
Jason Sloan, director of CPI, said the award highlights the “ingenuity and technical expertise” driving the sector, underlining polyurethane’s versatility across modern applications.
Eligibility and criteria
To qualify, submissions must relate directly to polyurethane chemistry – defined as the reaction between an isocyanate and a polyol – and must have entered the US market between June 21, 2024 and June 19, 2026.
Eligible entries include:
- Finished products
- Processing technologies and equipment
- Initiatives, including training or education programmes
Entries previously submitted are not eligible for resubmission.
A panel of industry experts will shortlist finalists based on criteria including technical innovation, market impact and societal benefit, with the final winner determined through a combination of judging scores and delegate voting at the conference.
Focus on sustainability and performance
Recent winners highlight a growing focus on sustainability. The 2025 award went to Algenesis Labs for its Soleic technology, a plant-based polyurethane designed to biodegrade at end-of-life while maintaining performance characteristics.
This trend suggests that entries for 2026 are likely to emphasise bio-based materials, circularity and reduced environmental impact, alongside performance improvements in traditional PU applications.
Industry significance
For polyurethane producers and suppliers, the award provides a platform to showcase commercially proven innovation rather than early-stage research.
With eligibility tied to products already introduced to market, the programme offers a snapshot of the most recent advances across the PU value chain—from raw materials and additives to finished systems and processing technologies.
As the industry faces increasing pressure to deliver both performance and sustainability, the 2026 award is expected to highlight how companies are translating innovation into scalable, real-world solutions.
Photo: Dr. Stephen Mayfield receives the 2025 Polyurethane Innovation Award from CPI Conference Chair Mary Bogdan. © Algenesis Labs