Packaging tapes supply chain topics will be covered at European Tape Week 2025, 22–26 September 2025 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
European Tape Week 2025, organised and hosted by Afera, The European Adhesive Tape Association, is a comprehensive industry event which brings together technical and business leaders across the adhesive tape value chain. This inaugural “Tape Week” merges Afera’s 11th Technical Seminar and 68th Annual Conference into one week-long programme, with the option of attending the subevents or the whole at attractive rates.
Under the theme “Navigating the Future of Adhesive Tapes: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities”, the programme features over 35 expert presentations and 7 panel discussions spanning raw material innovations, processing technologies, sustainability and regulation, market trends and end-use application insights. Packaging adhesive tapes, which account for approximately 50% to 60% of the global pressure-sensitive tapes market by volume, are directly impacted by many of these sessions. The content most relevant to the packaging tape supply chain includes raw material sourcing and polymer innovations, adhesive formulation and curing technologies, sustainability initiatives and regulations, market trends and economic outlook, and end-user application requirements.
| Date and session | Presentation title | Speaker / Affiliation | Relevance to Packaging Tape Supply Chain |
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Wednesday, 24 September (Joint Session) |
The E.U. Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and its implications for the European adhesive tape industry |
Speaker TBA (European Commission) |
Upcoming EU law on packaging waste and recyclability; will set requirements for packaging tapes (materials, recycling, disposal) that tape makers must comply with. Directly addresses packaging tape regulatory impact.
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Friday, 26 September (Applications) |
An analysis of packaging adhesive tapes, related market trends, sustainability perspectives and unmet needs in this sector
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Dr. Tobias Winkler (Laboratory Manager Packaging & Repairing, tesa SE, Germany) |
In-depth look at the packaging tape segment – market size/- trends, sustainability drivers, and performance gaps. Focused on packaging tape applications and how to innovate to meet end-user needs and environmental goals. |
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Thursday, 25 September (Market Development) |
Global & European Market Data: Freedonia Global Pressure Sensitive Tapes 2025 Industry Report |
Brenden Drijgers (Marketing Manager, Kraton / Afera Marketing Committee) |
Industry-wide data with segmentation. Provides market outlook for tape segments including packaging tapes, helping supply chain actors understand demand trends and economic forecasts in packaging.
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Thursday, 25 September (Market Development) |
Family-owned SME commodity tapes manufacturers facing the European market: Opportunities and challenges |
Carlo Maria Righetti (CEO, NAR, Italy) |
Addresses business challenges for commodity tape producers. Packaging tapes are a key commodity tape product – this session highlights market pressures (competition, pricing) and opportunities (niche markets, innovation) specifically relevant to packaging tape makers.
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Thursday, 25 September (Risk & Economy) |
The pricing of raw materials: Renewable materials and their effect on futureproofing adhesive tapes |
Jan Noordegraaf (Managing Director, Innograaf BV, Netherlands) |
Explores raw material cost volatility and use of renewables. High relevance for packaging tapes, which use large volumes of polymers – insight into stabilising supply and adopting sustainable raw materials for adhesive/backing to ensure long-term viability.
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Thursday, 25 September (Market Development) |
Acrylic monomers in SBPSA, WBPSA, UVPSA: global situation, geopolitical factors, and sustainability (biobased options) |
Pierre Larnicol (Global Marketing Director, Arkema, France) |
Details the supply chain for key adhesive monomers (acrylics) and sustainable alternatives. Direct impact on packaging tape adhesive formulation, as acrylic PSA is widely used for carton sealing tapes – informs procurement and R&D on monomer availability and innovation (bio-based monomers).
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Tuesday, 23 September (Tech Seminar) |
Biodegradable polymers: Recent advances in sustainability of acrylic dispersions for PSAs |
Prof. Nicholas Ballard (Polymat – Univ. of the Basque Country, Spain) |
Introduces new polymer chemistries for eco-friendly adhesives. Suggests how packaging PSA tapes could use biodegradable or more sustainable acrylic adhesives, reducing environmental impact while maintaining functionality.
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Tuesday, 23 September (Tech Seminar) |
Faster drying of water-based PSAs: Improving drying by polymer design |
Dr. Christoph Scholten (Principal Scientist, Synthomer, Germany) |
Describes polymer design tweaks for quicker drying of water-based adhesives. Applicable to water-based packaging tape production, allowing faster line speeds or energy savings in drying ovens – boosts manufacturing efficiency of packaging tapes.
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Tuesday, 23 September (Tech Seminar) |
High solid content tackifier dispersions: Less water is more sustainable |
Dr. Stephan Kobben (Global R&D Manager Adhesives, Lawter, Netherlands) |
Presents high-solids tackifier technology. Relevant to packaging tape adhesives (especially hot-melt or emulsion types) – higher solids mean lower drying energy and potentially stronger adhesive performance, aiding sustainability and cost-efficiency in tape making.
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Wednesday, 24 September (Tech Seminar) |
Proof of concept: How pyrolysis can be applied to the adhesive tapes industry, its role in sustainability, limitations and opportunities |
Marco Karber (CEO, AES Autonome Energiesysteme, Germany) |
Investigates pyrolysis as a recycling method for tapes. Important for packaging tapes’ end-of-life – could enable recycling of used packaging tapes or production scrap by breaking them into reusable chemicals, supporting circular economy goals in packaging.
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Wednesday, 24 September (Joint Session) |
The Digital Passport and consequences for the tape industry |
Dr. Martin Klatt (Head of Product Stewardship, BASF, Germany) |
Discusses EU digital product passport initiatives. Impacts packaging tape supply chains by requiring detailed material data tracking – packaging tapes may need digital IDs for constituents to improve recyclability and compliance. Encourages supply chain transparency for packaging materials.
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Each of the above sessions ties into one or more parts of the packaging adhesive tape value chain, from upstream material innovation and sourcing, through production technologies, to downstream market demand and regulatory compliance. European Tape Week 2025 offers a holistic view of these interconnected topics, making it a pivotal event for anyone aiming to navigate the future of packaging tapes. The combination of technical seminars and strategic discussions ensures that raw material suppliers, tape manufacturers, converters and end-users in the packaging sector can align on upcoming challenges and opportunities. In particular, the focused discussions on packaging tapes (e.g. the PPWR regulation briefing and the dedicated packaging tape market analysis ) demonstrate Afera’s recognition that packaging is a cornerstone of the tape industry – one that is evolving rapidly with sustainability and innovation at the forefront.
For more details and registration information, visit www.aferaeuropeantapeweek.com.
For more fastener & adhesive stories visit https://designsolutionsmag.co.uk/category/fasteners-adhesives/
