Polyurethane Innovation Award Program

Every year, CPI presents the Polyurethane Innovation Award program, which highlights the role that innovation plays in the polyurethanes industry and recognizes companies and individuals whose vision and perseverance bring new products, technologies, and initiatives to the marketplace. CPI presents the Innovation Award at the annual Polyurethanes Technical Conference.

Eligibility: 

To qualify for entry, submissions must meet the following requirements:

• Products must have entered the market, for the first time in the U.S., between June 20, 2023 and June 19, 2025.
• Entries submitted in a previous year are NOT eligible for resubmission.
• Entries pertaining to a polyurethane product or polyurethane manufacture are required to relate to polyurethane chemistry, which the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) expressly defines, for purposes of this Award, as the reaction of an isocyanate with a polyol. Innovations in polyurethane chemistry could include finished products, initiatives, training or education programs, or processes or processing equipment.

 Submission Deadline:

All entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on June 19, 2025. Late or incomplete entries will not be considered. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and CPI are not responsible for failed, incomplete, or delayed submissions.

Finalist Selection:

A panel of judges, comprised of experts representing technical disciplines and the polyurethane supply chain, will evaluate all eligible submissions. Entries will be scored based on the impact on the polyurethanes industry, uniqueness of the innovation, quality of the science and societal impact. The three submissions with the highest scores will be selected as finalists for the Polyurethane Innovation Award.

Voting Process:

Voting will take place during the Polyurethanes Technical Conference Opening Session on Monday, October 6, 2025. Conference attendees may cast one vote for one finalist. The finalist with the most votes will receive an additional 20 points to be added to the judges’ score. The Innovation with the highest total score will be deemed the winner and announced during the Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

The Polyurethane Innovation Award Winner:

The Award winner is:

• Presented an award during the Awards Luncheon of the Polyurethanes Technical Conference;
• Announced in a CPI news release distributed to the media;
• Featured on the Innovation Award page of the CPI website through which visitors will be able to learn more about the innovation;
• Provided use of the Polyurethane Innovation Award logo to showcase its achievement;
• Provided one complimentary registration to the following year's Conference;
• Showcased at the following year's Polyurethanes Technical Conference.