The company's best-known inventions include the first Pritt glue stick (1969), whose rotating mechanism was inspired by lipstick. But the company also found solutions for unusual tasks; for example, Ceresit products were used in the renovation of the Great Wall of China in 1987. In 2015, Henkel developed a customized adhesive that was used to reattach the beard of Tutankhamun's death mask.
In the industrial sector, Henkel's adhesive solutions have transformed production processes and product designs in the automotive, electronics and packaging industries. These offer functionalities such as strong hold, sealing, coating, conductivity and recyclability, etc. Since 2022, there has been a center with 30 laboratories, the Inspiration Center Düsseldorf, where more adhesives, sealants and functional coatings are being developed. Later this year, Adhesive Technologies plans to open another global innovation center in Shanghai.