• European Tape Week programme boasts 35+ field expert and CEO speakers
• Early-bird registration until 15 May, Afera-appointed hotel booking until 1 July
Afera, the European Adhesive Tape Association, is set to host its inaugural European Tape Week from 22 to 26 September 2025 at the Hyatt Regency in Thessaloniki, Greece. This landmark event consolidates Afera’s flagship gatherings—the 68th Annual Conference, the 11th Technical Seminar and various Committee and Sustainability Project Meetings—into a single, cohesive, linear programme. The 3 sub-events may be attended individually or collectively, with the aim of fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange across the adhesive tape value chain.
A unified platform for the tape industry
European Tape Week is designed to bring together professionals from all facets of the adhesive tape sector, including tape manufacturers, suppliers, converters, distributors, researchers, end users and national adhesive and tape groups. By merging technical and strategic discussions with industry and field leaders under the theme “Navigating the future of adhesive tapes: Transforming challenges into opportunities,” the event offers a comprehensive overview of current obstacles, demands and innovations within the business. Attendees can expect a blend of expert presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities, all tailored to address the evolving needs of the European tape community.
“European Tape Week promises to be the most engaging and insightful gathering for adhesive tapes manufacturers and all other organisations across the tape business value chain,” Afera Secretary-General Astrid Lejeune emphasised. “By uniting the entire community, the event creates a neutral forum where competitors and colleagues alike can openly discuss trends, share knowledge and work on common challenges.”
Programme highlights
The week-long event kicks off with Committee Meetings on Monday, setting the stage for collaborative discussions. The 11th Technical Seminar follows on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, featuring 20-minute expert talks on topics such as pressure-sensitive adhesive formulations, flame-retardant materials, recycling-friendly polymers, UV-curing techniques and AI-driven tape technology. A joint plenary session will bridge the Technical Seminar and Annual Conference, focusing on overarching themes like regulation, sustainability and carbon footprint assessment.
From Wednesday afternoon to Friday, the 68th Annual Conference delves into strategic insights and market foresight. Sessions will explore European and global economic forecasts, industrial competitiveness, the battery technology revolution and the packaging tape market. Key topics include raw material price volatility, manufacturing resilience, regulatory shifts and strategic innovation planning. Each session concludes with a panel discussion, ensuring diverse perspectives and practical takeaways.
A notable feature is the introduction of Afera’s TACK tool, which enables standardised calculation of product carbon footprints, positioning sustainability as both a responsibility and an innovation driver. Furthermore, three CEOs from the adhesive tape industry—Carlo Maria Righetti, CEO of NAR (Italy), Sam Strijckmans, CEO of Nitto EMEA and Executive Vice President of Nitto Denko Corporation (Belgium), and Melanie Ott, CEO of artimelt AG (Switzerland)—are set to speak individually about strategy in the current market.
11th Technical Seminar
• Biodegradable polymers: sustainability of acrylic dispersions for PSAs
• LED UV-curable acrylics / hotmelt PSAs
• LED bulbs for curing of PSAs
• Biomimicry of adhesives in nature
• Polymer design for faster drying of water-based PSAs for specialty tapes
• High solid content tackifier dispersions: Less water is more sustainable
• Automatisation in the lab
• Full automation in the lab: Latest developments in mixing, formulation, testing and measuring peel adhesion
• Combining machine learning with AI to achieve faster development of PSAs
• AI learning for adhesives and coatings
• AI tool for quicker development projects, including adhesives use cases
• UV hot melt coating
• Double-sided simultaneous coating station for silicone application
• How pyrolysis can be applied to the adhesive tapes industry
• Is sustainability just a PCF value?
Joint session on regulation and sustainability
• Chemicals and sustainability: Why is it so hard to do the right thing?
• The adhesive tape industry and the doughnut economy, CSRD and quadruple bottom line, incl. a report on PSTC’s Tape Week
• The E.U. Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and its implications for the European adhesive tape industry
• Afera’s Flagship Sustainability Programme (AFSP): Key learnings and updates on driving sustainability in the adhesive tapes business
68th Annual Conference
• The Global economic outlook: How will Europe do?
• The Trump regime’s economic and public policy implications for the U.S. and Europe’s adhesives industries
• Thriving in a time of turbulence as a larger multinational player in the adhesive tapes value chain
• The pricing of raw materials: Renewable materials and their effect on future-proofing adhesive tapes
• Change management in a VUCA world: Building scenarios and utilising other decision-making tools for successfully leading necessary transition from a human point of view
• Harnessing AI for smarter decision-making in the adhesive tapes industry
• Futureproofing the adhesive tapes industry: Afera’s strategy updated for 2025-2030
• Family-owned SME commodity tapes manufacturers facing the European market: Opportunities and challenges
• Raw materials for the adhesives industry: Trends and challenges in 2025 and beyond
• Acrylic monomers used in SBPSA, WBPSA and UVPSA: The global situation of monomers, including geopolitical evolution and energy cost differences among the regions, and sustainability (biobased and bio-attributed monomers)
• Global and European market data: Freedonia Global Pressure Sensitive Tapes 2025 industry report
• The evolving landscape of battery technology and its impact on sustainable mobility, including regulatory shifts and customer-centric ESG approaches
• Global battery value chain overview: Trends and insights
• Adhesive tapes in domestic appliances, automotive, electronics or construction: Market trends, challenges and opportunities
• Revolutionising the tape industry with innovative adhesive solutions: How adhesives are transforming the tapes industry
• The end user experience: The role of tapes in their products and customer experiences and requirements of tape manufacturers in this area
• An analysis of packaging adhesive tapes, related market trends, sustainability perspectives and unmet needs in this sector
Networking and engagement
Recognising the value of informal interactions, European Tape Week incorporates extended networking breaks, shared meals and evening events. These settings provide ample opportunities for delegates to connect, exchange ideas and build lasting professional relationships. The event anticipates over 250 participants, making it the largest gathering of its kind in the European adhesive tapes sector.
Afera President Evert Smit, who is also director scouting for sustainability, technology and innovation at Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG., highlighted the collaborative spirit of the event: “Afera’s European Tape Week is more than just networking and knowledge sharing. It’s about co-creating, transparency, changing mindsets and meeting the new generation on its terms — and ultimately making our technologies and businesses futureproof.”
Registration and participation
Registration for European Tape Week is now open, with early-bird rates available until 15 May. Attendees can choose to participate in the Technical Seminar, the Annual Conference or both, with combination tickets offered at discounted rates to encourage full-week engagement. Accommodation at the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki can be booked at Afera rates until 1 July.
For more information and to register, visit the official event website: www.aferaeuropeantapeweek.com.
