Henkel strengthens global innovation and supply chain hub with move to Singapore Science Park

Henkel has consolidated a wide range of its global and regional operations into a new hub at Geneo, Singapore Science Park, marking a significant expansion of its presence in Asia-Pacific. The relocation brings together supply chain, digital operations, advanced electronics innovation, and consumer brands capabilities under one roof, with the aim of serving customers in the region and worldwide more effectively.

The new Singapore facility combines Henkel’s businesses, including the Adhesives Technology Application Engineering Laboratory, the newly established Academy of Hair, the Global Supply Chain Hub, and the Adhesive Operations Digital Lab. By co-locating these functions, Henkel is positioning Singapore as a central node for innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence across multiple industries.

Speaking at the opening event on 26 January, Mark Dorn, Executive Vice President of Adhesive Technologies at Henkel, said the move reflects the company’s long-term commitment to Asia-Pacific and its confidence in Singapore as a strategic base. He highlighted the city-state’s strong infrastructure, talent pool, and business ecosystem as key factors supporting Henkel’s global ambitions and regional growth strategy.

Thomas Holenia, Corporate Vice President Procurement at Henkel Adhesive Technologies and President of Henkel Singapore, described the new hub as a critical control tower for the company’s operations. By integrating supply chain, innovation, and digital capabilities at Singapore Science Park, the site is intended to accelerate the journey from idea to market and improve customer support across multiple sectors, while strengthening Henkel’s growth platform in the region.

Expanding electronics and adhesives capabilities for Southeast Asia

A central feature of the new hub is the expanded Adhesives Application Engineering Laboratory, which enhances Henkel Singapore’s ability to support customers in general manufacturing, maintenance, industrial applications, and electronics. At the heart of this expansion is the Henkel Southeast Asia Electronic Adhesives Technical Centre, which plays a key role in supporting regional electronics manufacturing.

The Technical Centre serves customers across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, with a particular focus on growth segments such as semiconductors and consumer electronics. As the largest electronic adhesives application engineering laboratory in Southeast Asia, it functions as a regional base for technical support and application development, and has recorded consistent year-on-year growth.

The new facility at Singapore Science Park offers advanced material characterisation and failure analysis capabilities. It can replicate critical customer application processes, including dispensing, die attach, lamination, printing, and dicing. This allows for more representative testing, faster troubleshooting, and quicker resolution of technical challenges faced by customers.

While application engineering remains its primary focus, the Technical Centre is also expanding its involvement in advanced development projects. This includes closer collaboration with product development teams and a stronger role in accelerating the introduction of solutions tailored to regional requirements. Sustainability is also a priority, with the Centre benchmarking the performance of PFAS alternatives against legacy products and implementing measures to reduce its own environmental footprint, such as lowering nitrogen gas consumption and improving water usage efficiency.

Building talent, digital operations, and long-term growth in Singapore

Beyond industrial applications, Henkel’s Consumer Brands business continues to play an important role in Singapore, particularly within the professional hair care sector. The Academy of Hair represents a transformation of the former studio into a modern platform for professional education and industry exchange, aligned with Henkel’s global standards.

Designed to support hair professionals at every stage of their careers, the Academy offers hands-on training in colouring, cutting, styling, salon management, and content creation. Its expanded curriculum and flexible learning formats also create opportunities for engagement with consumers through events and collaborations, supporting a more inclusive and connected hair community.

Henkel Singapore has also established itself over the past decade as a global centre of excellence for supply chain management and Industry 4.0 adoption. The Global Supply Chain Hub has helped harmonise planning and logistics processes across regions, improving supply reliability, agility, and productivity through standardisation and digital tools.

At the same time, the Global Adhesive Operations Digital team has developed cloud-based systems that strengthen connectivity across Henkel’s manufacturing network in Asia. With the move to Singapore Science Park, these digital capabilities are now co-located with supply chain teams, application engineering, and the Adhesive Operations Digital Lab. This integration is expected to enable faster decision-making, quicker deployment of Industry 4.0 solutions, and more seamless end-to-end support for customers, from product design and testing through to global delivery.