Wet chemical method for plating a metal onto a non-conductive substrate comprising the steps of i. depositing on at least a portion of the non-conductive substrate surface a layer of a metal oxide compound selected from the group consisting of zinc oxides, titanium oxides, zirconium oxides, aluminum oxides, silicon oxides, and tin oxides or mixtures of the aforementioned; and thereafter ii. heating the non-conductive substrate at a temperature of more than 400°C and thereby forming an adhesive layer of the metal oxide compound on at least a portion of the substrate surface; and thereafter iii. metal plating at least the substrate surface bearing the adhesive layer of the metal oxide compound by applying a wet-chemical plating method and thereafter; iv. heating the metal plated layer to a maximum temperature of between 150 and 500°C, wherein depositing on at least a portion of the non-conductive substrate surface a layer of a metal oxide compound comprises: ia. contacting the substrate with a metal oxide precursor compound suitable to form the metal oxide compound upon heating and thereafter ib. heating the non-conductive substrate at temperatures of between 150 and 400°C and thereby forming the metal oxide compound from the metal oxide precursor compound on at least a portion of the substrate surface, and wherein the non-conductive substrate is a ceramic, silicon-based semiconductor or glass substrate, characterized in that in step ii. the adhesive layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 10 nm. i. depositing on at least a portion of the non-conductive substrate surface a layer of a metal oxide compound selected from the group consisting of zinc oxides, titanium oxides, zirconium oxides, aluminum oxides, silicon oxides, and tin oxides or mixtures of the aforementioned; and thereafter ii. heating the non-conductive substrate at a temperature of more than 400°C and thereby forming an adhesive layer of the metal oxide compound on at least a portion of the substrate surface; and thereafter iii. metal plating at least the substrate surface bearing the adhesive layer of the metal oxide compound by applying a wet-chemical plating method and thereafter; iv. heating the metal plated layer to a maximum temperature of between 150 and 500°C, wherein depositing on at least a portion of the non-conductive substrate surface a layer of a metal oxide compound comprises: ia. contacting the substrate with a metal oxide precursor compound suitable to form the metal oxide compound upon heating and thereafter ib. heating the non-conductive substrate at temperatures of between 150 and 400°C and thereby forming the metal oxide compound from the metal oxide precursor compound on at least a portion of the substrate surface, and wherein the non-conductive substrate is a ceramic, silicon-based semiconductor or glass substrate, characterized in that in step ii. the adhesive layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 10 nm. ia. contacting the substrate with a metal oxide precursor compound suitable to form the metal oxide compound upon heating and thereafter ib. heating the non-conductive substrate at temperatures of between 150 and 400°C and thereby forming the metal oxide compound from the metal oxide precursor compound on at least a portion of the substrate surface, and wherein the non-conductive substrate is a ceramic, silicon-based semiconductor or glass substrate, characterized in that in step ii. the adhesive layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 10 nm.