Sustainable Growth: How tesa Turned Sustainability into Innovation and Customer Value
Sustainability
What did it take for sustainability to become more than just a goal—to become a driver of innovation and growth? That was the focus of tesa’s fifth global Sustainability Week. Under the theme “Sustainable Growth,” perspectives from business, research and everyday work came together around a shared message: future-ready solutions emerged when sustainability and customer value were considered together from the outset.
Sustainability became a driver of innovation
Dr. Ingrid Sebald, Chief Technology Officer of tesa SE, emphasizes: For tesa, sustainability is a matter of future viability.
Expectations of companies were changing. Customers were asking for transparent data, lower carbon footprints and circular products—with no compromise on quality or performance. For tesa, this represented an opportunity: the focus was on how adhesive expertise and materials science could be incorporated into the development of products for repair, reuse and recycling.
The Sustainability Week showcased numerous examples of what this could look like in practice. One of the technologies in focus was Debonding on Demand, which enabled adhesive bonds to be released in a targeted way. A keynote explored its potential applications using vehicle displays as an example. The key takeaway was that circular solutions were best developed when partners collaborated from an early stage.
Progress made visible
tesa was also driving the transformation at its own sites. Between 2018 and 2025, the company reduced emissions from its own sites and purchased energy (Scopes 1 and 2) by 50%
The Sustainability Marketplace showcased the breadth of sustainable development, from energy management and solvent-free production technologies to sustainable product design. Contributions from industry and research added further perspectives, highlighting the potential of artificial intelligence, the circular economy and more efficient use of resources.
Sustainability week 2026
From global inspiration to local action
The Sustainability Week extended beyond the main stage. Short “Sustainability in Action” talks brought topics such as green hydrogen, Scope 3 emissions, diversity and clear sustainability communication into everyday work. At the same time, teams in Europe, Greater China, Asia Pacific, and North and South America embraced the theme and translated it into formats suited to their markets and sites.
The activities varied, but they all pointed in the same direction: sustainability made an impact when people from different disciplines brought their perspectives together and turned them into action.
Making a difference together
As part of Sustainability Week 2026, tesa demonstrates how climate action and circular product design work together.
More than 50 speakers and over 2,900 attendances across twelve global sessions and numerous regional formats demonstrated the strong interest in this exchange. Employees, customers, researchers and industry partners contributed a range of experience and ideas.
The fifth Sustainability Week made one thing clear: sustainable growth did not come from a single technology or measure. It took measurable progress, reliable data and strong partnerships across the value chain. For tesa, that meant continuing to connect sustainability with innovation and customer value—and turning good ideas into solutions that made a difference.