DS Smith

DS Smith’s Operations Learning Academy (OLA) has won an award within the Best International Project category at the Uptale Awards for its Virtual Reality (VR) learning experience, used to create real-life scenarios for colleagues in the packaging division.

The Uptale Awards focus on learning in the Experiential Reality (XR) industry using Virtual Reality (VR) technology. DS Smith says its team of in-house experts developed learning resources and supported their colleagues in the company’s manufacturing sites across Europe, to identify risks and improve on procedures in a ‘risk-free and safe environment’ away from the shop floor.

The DS Smith Virtual Reality (VR) learning experience has been used across the company’s packaging division to create real-life scenarios for colleagues to learn and practice new operational skills. The Operations Learning Academy (OLA) was recognized by an independent panel of organizations representing leadership in manufacturing, engineering, and technology, for the quality of the OLA digital learning solutions and deployment strategy.

Stefano Rossi, divisional CEO of packaging at DS Smith, said: “This award is great recognition for the Operations Learning Academy and demonstrates how we are equipping our operations colleagues in a creative and engaging way. While redefining packaging for a changing world we are also redefining the ways in which we are providing dynamic learning opportunities to our colleagues, using digital technology to improve safety and our processes.”

This summer, the company launched its hybrid collaboration service, PackRight 2.0, designed to help businesses redesign their packaging for improved sustainability quickly and at low cost. The workshops introduce customers to DS Smith designers and engineers and create an opportunity to collaborate on a more efficient and effective packaging design.

Aiming to increase its presence in the Polish marketplace, DS Smith recently invested over €25 million into its production lines and machinery parks in Kielce, Bełchatów, and Sosnowiec. It hopes that new machinery such as a new die-cutter, Bobst Masterline 2.1, will allow for greater automatization and precision of the production process in the flexography department.

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