Lorna williams
CEO of the Adhesives & Sealants Association in the UK & Ireland (BASA)
Lorna Williams is currently CEO of the Adhesives & Sealants Association (BASA), a trade association for the Adhesives and Sealants industry in the UK and Ireland with just under 100 member companies. Her Consultancy company is active in the Chemicals and Materials sector and holds the contract to run the BASA Secretariat. With a background in Materials Science and over 30 years’ experience in several technical and commercial roles related to the adhesives and sealants and construction products markets, Lorna is heavily involved with aspects of UK, European and International standardisation and is actively involved with FEICA, the European Adhesives and Sealants Association.
Update on the UK Adhesives and Sealants Market
In this key regional update, Lorna Williams, CEO of the UK and Irish Trade Association, BASA, will provide insights into the current state of the adhesives and sealants (A&S) market in the United Kingdom. The presentation will examine the ongoing challenges posed by regulatory divergence between the UK and EU, particularly for the adhesives and sealants (A&S) sector.
Since Brexit, differing rules and compliance burdens have complicated cross-border trade, disrupted supply chains, and increased costs for UK businesses. With the recent EU-UK Summit hinting at renewed cooperation and a closer relationship in some areas, this session will explore the potential for a closer relationship to ease these pressures, specifically in the chemicals space. The session will discuss whether emerging opportunities for alignment and strategic collaboration could help smooth the hard edges of divergence and bring some much-needed stability to the A&S industry in the UK, or whether the talk is all simply a false dawn.
Breakout I – Adhesives and Sealants International Markets – 11 September 2025 – 14:30 – 15:00 – Chamber Hall