Our overview of '125 Years of Innovations' is directed forward – But we will also take a look over the shoulder, back into history. Because developments from Beiersdorf, the parent company of tesa, were often far ahead of their time: They set standards and were sometimes trendsetters. Dr. Oscar Troplowitz showed us how a great deal of pioneering and innovative spirit, perseverance, and courage can turn a failure into a bestseller: In the 1890s, the pharmacist actually wanted to market a new adhesive plaster, but it stuck too hard on human skin. Troplowitz quickly remodeled it and created the first technical adhesive tape, the "Cito-Sportheftpflaster" for bicycle patching. 

The larger distribution of different adhesive products took its course. In the 1930s, rubber wraps for car suspensions helped against poor road conditions. Today, highly specialized tesa adhesive pads protect the passengers in electric cars in the event of a battery fire. In the post-war period, tesamoll^® pleasantly improved the sound of rattling radio sets. Today, wafer-thin high-tech tapes act as temperature regulators in smartphones. And in general, the elements such as fire, water, and air always offer new challenges – and more than 500 developers in the tesa laboratories across Europe, Asia and the USA deal with them day by day. Over time, more than 7,000 products have been created.

Curious? Over the coming weeks, in our series '125 Years of Innovations' we will show you what adhesive technology by tesa can do. Join us on a journey around the fascinating world of adhesives.