Cupcakes and Sustainability: Thermoset Innovation Drives TOPCON 2026

Sarah Wallner and I had the pleasure of attending TopCon 2026 last month. As always, TopCon is a great way to learn from leaders in the thermoset industry, see old friends, and get in a round of golf on a beautiful course. But this year was especially significant for us. 

In honor of Ci-Dell’s 40^th anniversary, we sponsored a table to share an array of “birthday” cupcakes with attendees, and they were delicious. Thanks again to the highly talented pastry chef and catering team at Monona Terrace. 

We received a lot of congratulations on our four decades of thermoset leadership, which is quite an accomplishment in this industry. 

Environmental Progress

The recurring theme throughout many presentations was sustainability, with speakers emphasizing new technologies that will improve thermoset’s role in a greener world. 

Now is the time for the thermoset industry to elevate its value as manufacturers seek ways to reduce environmental impact while maintaining performance across a range of industries. We heard material providers, molders, students at UW-Madison’s Polymer Engineering Center and other related organizations talk about emerging materials, circular economy initiatives, manufacturing innovations and even how AI can help streamline the manufacturing value chain and reduce waste.

One of the conference’s clearest sustainability messages came from Owens Corning’s presentation on global composites market trends and innovations in sustainability. The session highlighted the demand from customers, regulators and investors for more sustainable materials and manufacturing practices.

A Greener Future

It’s been rewarding to look back at our history of contributions to the thermoset industry over the past 40 years, but it’s the future that really excites us. We can expect more recycled and bio-based resins, as well as new formulation approaches and molding techniques that reduce environmental impacts. Plus, we continue to educate product designers about the sustainable advantages of thermoset to address engineering challenges such as lightweighting and longer product life.

We’re eager to implement new environmentally friendly solutions to our customers as soon as they’re ready for market and meet our quality standards. Stay tuned. Ci-Dell has a lot to share beyond just cupcakes!