ISGS is an international, interdisciplinary, not-for-profit organization whose primary purpose and objective is the advancement of sol-gel science and technology. ISGS aims are both to represent the particular needs and aspirations of the international sol-gel community and to support this sol-gel community.

Since the inception of the highly successful Sol-Gel Workshop series in Padova during 1981, sol-gel science and technology has evolved from its origins within traditional materials science (mainly glass and ceramics) to become an extraordinarily multidisciplinary area of research, spanning chemistry, physics, biology, materials science and nanotechnology.

ISGS, grouping of scientists who are interested in sol-gel science and technology at the begining, evolved over time in a professional, fully functional, scientific society.