tesa, international manufacturer of adhesive tapes and self-adhesive product solutions, is laying the foundation for future adhesive tapes with the opening of a state-of-the-art Debonding on Demand development laboratory. The new innovation hub in Singapore will be established as a permanent location in tesa's technology network to drive customized development and scaling of removable adhesive solutions, particularly for customers in the automotive and electronics industries.
The strategic partnership between tesa and A*STAR, Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency, combines research expertise with industrial networks to accelerate development of market-ready solutions. This collaboration advances adhesive technologies while strengthening Singapore's position as a hub for advanced manufacturing and circular economy innovation.
Singapore: Strategic development location for Debonding on Demand technologies
tesa's Debonding on Demand laboratory in Singapore focuses on developing new polymer concepts for the electronics and automotive industries. Singapore was chosen for this strategic investment due to tesa's regional headquarters presence and the country's innovation leadership. Proximity to leading universities and collaboration with A*STAR were key factors. The lab strengthens tesa's Asia-Pacific presence alongside operations in Vietnam, Thailand and India. With approximately 6% of annual turnover invested in developing new products and technologies, and 100 new innovations yearly, tesa maintains its adhesive technology leadership.
tesa CEO Dr Norman Goldberg explains: "At tesa, we don't just innovate – we push boundaries. Our Debonding on Demand technologies will be a future game-changer, enabling strong, durable bonds that can be easily removed on demand. This breakthrough will transform product repair, recycling, and reuse, helping industries reduce waste and embrace circularity without compromising performance. With our new Debonding on Demand laboratory, we are setting an important milestone in the further development of these pioneering technologies and are delighted to be starting operations together with strong partners like A*STAR at our side."
Sustainable technologies meet customer requirements
With its Debonding on Demand technologies, tesa is hitting the pulse of the times and meeting customer requirements for repairable and recyclable products and components. "Our Debonding on Demand technologies will enable a completely new approach to product design. Sustainability is integrated as an essential part of applications and system solutions from the very beginning. This will create new perspectives for entire industries regarding manufacturing and life cycle management," emphasizes Dr. Ingrid Sebald, Board Member Technology at tesa. "The Debonding on Demand lab in Singapore's vibrant innovation ecosystem serves as the perfect launch pad to establish these breakthrough technologies for the global market and industry customers, making an important contribution to the circular economy."
“A*STAR is pleased to partner tesa in developing advanced adhesive technologies that enable new possibilities in product design, sustainability, and circularity. This collaboration reflects our broader efforts to work with industry in translating research into solutions that support next-generation manufacturing,” says Professor Lim Keng Hui, ACE, Science & Engineering Research Council at A*STAR.
New concepts already in the pipeline
Backed by a strong interdisciplinary network and a technology partner like A*STAR, tesa plans to make groundbreaking advances in polymer chemistry, adhesive formulation, and coating technologies. The aim is to develop new solutions and improve existing Debonding on Demand concepts. The partners intend to test up to 20 new Debonding on Demand concepts in terms of performance and application relevance via a standardized process. Promising concepts will then be further developed and scaled up in line with customer requirements.
The Debonding on Demand lab will begin operations on July 1, 2025 with its first group of experts, engineers, and technicians. Additional team members will follow.