tesa, an international manufacturer of innovative adhesive tapes and self-adhesive product solutions, marks the first anniversary of its Debonding on Demand laboratory in Singapore. The laboratory serves as a strategic platform for advancing next-generation adhesive technologies that support repairability, circular product design and more sustainable manufacturing practices across industries, including electronics and automotive.
Since July 2025, tesa’s Debonding on Demand laboratory has been conducting research in collaboration with A*STAR, Singapore’s lead public sector R&D agency, on developing new polymer concepts for the electronics and automotive industries, while reinforcing tesa’s global adhesive technology leadership and its Asia-Pacific presence alongside operations in Vietnam, Thailand and India.
Advancing innovation through strategic collaboration
The Debonding on Demand laboratory, established by tesa and developed in collaboration with A*STAR, is a dedicated innovation facility that combines the company’s deep expertise in adhesive technologies with Singapore’s world-class research capabilities in advanced material science. The collaboration serves as a model for how industry and research institutions can work together to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into commercially relevant manufacturing solutions.
Over the past year, the partnership has made progress across key areas including polymer chemistry, adhesive formulation and coating technologies. Together, the teams are continuing to advance a pipeline of up to 20 Debonding on Demand concepts designed to help manufacturers address growing industry requirements for product repairability, component recovery, resource efficiency and circularity.
“Debonding on Demand technologies enable a rethinking of adhesive bonding from a lifecycle perspective. Our work in Singapore is focused on developing reliable adhesive solutions that perform during use and can be removed when needed — supporting repairability, recycling and more circular product design in demanding industrial application,” said Prof. Dr. Andreas Lendlein, Head of Technical Business Development & Science Office at tesa.
Driving future-ready industrial applications
Innovation is a key pillar of tesa’s long-term growth strategy, with the Singapore laboratory serving as an important innovation node within the company’s global product and technology development network. Beyond developing new adhesive concepts, the facility is helping to address some of the most pressing challenges facing manufacturers today, including product lifecycle management, resource efficiency, and the transition towards more circular production models.
Building on the momentum of its first year and aligned with Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 vision, the collaboration demonstrates how industry-research partnerships can strengthen the country’s position as a leading hub for advanced manufacturing and materials innovation. By connecting scientific research with real-world industrial applications, the laboratory contributes to the development of future-ready technologies that can be deployed across global supply chains.
“The Debonding on Demand laboratory reflects our long-term commitment to innovation in Asia-Pacific and supporting the evolving needs of manufacturers worldwide,” said Andreas Gunnestrand, President and Regional Manager, tesa tape Asia-Pacific. “The technologies and application insights developed in Singapore not only support regional customers, but also contribute directly to our global innovation roadmap. As industries place greater emphasis on repairability, circularity and sustainable product design, this laboratory will continue to play an instrumental role in shaping the future of adhesive solutions.”