Increased attention to the potential of innovation through collaboration has been a particularly important phenomenon in recent times. Some businesses are extending and deepening the R&D project partnerships they have always participated in, while others are exploring the radical new territory of making systematic collaboration the very basis of technological advancement. Tim Sykes spoke to Dr Helene Roberts (group marketing and innovation director at LINPAC) and Elena Di Cunzolo (Value Chain leader EMEA at the Dow Chemical Company) about the best approaches to collaboration and the scale of the return on investment in cooperation.
The expectations of today’s consumer are high when it comes to packaging serving more than its core preservative and protective functions. In response to the need to differentiate a pack from hundreds of others on shelf, the ability to collaborate is becoming an added value driver across a wide range of sectors and throughout the supply chain. According to a 2017 Mintel report on global packaging trends, consumers are increasingly looking for brands to entertain and engage them. It’s therefore no surprise that brands and retailers are demanding new packaging styles and structures that boost shelf appeal, while helping to form and shape brand identity.
Fresh food packaging manufacturer, LINPAC, values the importance of collaboration to drive differentiation in its extensive multi-material portfolio. “When two packaging specialists team up to pool their expertise and combine novel, complementary elements, the resulting pack can far exceed what could have been produced as a solo, in-house development,” remarked LINPAC’s Helene Roberts, “particularly when the project is driven by a brand with specific consumer insight.”
Integrate to stand out
LINPAC has recently experienced perhaps unexpected consequences from its endeavours in the collaboration arena when a series of joint projects with specialist films manufacturer, Klöckner Pentaplast led to the Klöckner acquisition of the LINPAC Group. With 32 locations across 16 countries, the consolidated group will now be able to offer complete packaging solutions across rigid films, trays and flexible films to the food, pharmaceutical and speciality sectors.
LINPAC has introduced the expertise of other print and materials specialists to continually improve its resource efficient, functional core products in line with market demands. LINPAC and specialist print partner Parkside Flexibles recently demonstrated the power of cooperation to increase the shelf appeal of LINPAC MAP packs by developing an innovative newsprint design for Young’s Seafood Ltd. The aim of the project was to help innovate previously unprinted LINPAC rPET trays, with the aim of increasing shelf standout for retailers in the chilled section (traditionally a graphic-free packaging category).
Parkside printed a unique flexo reverse newspaper print on the tray for the modified atmosphere pack (MAP), which holds two beer battered cod fillets. The novel, nostalgic print was designed to emulate the newspaper sheets traditionally used to wrap takeaway fish and chips, tapping into the trend for ‘modern retro’ food packaging.
“For the project to be a success, a high degree of collaboration was required between Parkside, the LINPAC Pontivy and UK teams and the Young’s Seafood Ltd. packaging team,” commented Dr Roberts. “Several ideas and samples were produced and presented to Young’s Seafood Ltd. to achieve a well-considered final design, which was initially launched by leading retailer, ASDA.
“In addition, the LINPAC-Parkside partnership has also teamed up to innovate the Rfresh® Evolve vacuum skin pack (VSP) for Hilton Foods. A natural-look, grass graphic was printed by Parkside and applied to the LINPAC rPET tray during the thermoforming process to create stand-out shelf presence in what is traditionally a graphic-free category.”
Novel combinations
As well as introducing natural-look graphics to its range, LINPAC has worked with specialist cartonboard manufacturer, Graphic Packaging International (GPI) to create a range of patisserie packs for the bakery sector that incorporate cartonboard. The packs, that are suitable for cakes and pastries, combine GPI cartonboard trays with compatible LINPAC rPET lids.
The partnership has enabled various designs, including a shallow ‘fold-out’ cartonboard base with tapered rPET lid, a ‘theatre’ pack with a hinged lid and wrap-around base and a ‘multi-height’ nested tray to enable different pack depths. A ‘clip-in’ solution can be folded flat to minimise storage needs, while being easy to construct at the point of sale.
“None of the patisserie pack designs would have been possible without the LINPAC-GPI partnership, which amalgamated the advanced materials knowledge and design expertise from both companies to optimum effect”, said Dr Roberts.
“What’s particularly pleasing about this project is that both materials are fully sustainable. The combination of the ecologically balanced medium, cartonboard, and the LINPAC lids which are manufactured from in excess of 95 per cent post-consumer rPET recyclate, is just about as sustainable as it gets. Both materials are recyclable post-consumer.”
Supply chain benefits
For brands looking to leverage trust and loyalty and extend their product portfolio beyond traditional categories, packaging collaborations between suppliers can prove to be a catalyst for adding value. Increased shelf presence, material diversity and high levels of sustainability born from key partnerships give brands and retailers the opportunity elevate the humble preservative and protective pack to a stand-out extension of the brand experience.
“Embracing the integration of core capabilities to generate differentiation is something we’ll continue to see more of in all sectors. Working with key partners in the packaging industry to drive innovation, address sustainability challenges and increase speed to market will drive growth in unique complete pack solutions that can be purchased from a single, trusted supplier”, concludes Dr Roberts. “It’s an advantageous situation for everyone in the supply chain.”
At Dow the necessity of collaboration seems to have long burrowed into the collective corporate ethos. “Collaboration is a key enabling factor to drive innovation across the entire packaging value chain,” remarked Elena Di Cunzolo. “By proactively engaging in strategic collaborative partnerships with key value chain members, we are in the best position to anticipate upcoming consumer trends, address unmet needs, unlock new development opportunities and ultimately accelerate innovation throughout the packaging industry of today and tomorrow.”
Pack Studios
As charted in these pages, Dow has set up a global model to foster and support the value chain collaboration spirit. Pack Studios is Dow’s global technology network, facilitating the local implementation of innovative packaging solutions, better and faster. “At Pack Studios we design, develop, test and validate new packaging concepts together with our customers and value chain partners,” Ms Di Cunzolo asserted. “Our partners particularly appreciate the benefit of leveraging on Dow Pack Studios’ commercial-scale packaging lines, physical and analytical testing and prototyping capabilities, to test new packaging structures and formats without shutting down their own production to run in-house trials.”
The fruits of Pack Studios are hitting the markets, from the PacXpert and PoucHug formats to optimised adhesives. However, the real gauge of success, according to Ms Di Cunzolo, is not merely the quality of the end solution, but the degree to which a project has helped both converter customers and value chain partners to successfully accelerate innovation, in the process delivering added value and growth. The development of a novel packaging formulation for frozen food bags based on Dow’s INNATE™ and ELITE™ high performance resins was one such collaboration project that met these criteria. It provided significant benefits in terms of high hermeticity and improved puncture and drop resistance of the package, as well as resource efficiency through downgauging. Another is an innovative skin packaging on paperboard solution for meat, fish and cheese barrier packaging that combines all in one improved sustainability attributes and consumer convenience benefits. “Dow Pack Studios’ industry-leading capabilities have been a critical enabling factor,” said Ms Di Cunzolo, “to achieve fast and successful commercialisation of these and many other value-adding packaging developments, resulting in a triple win for the converter, the brand owner and Dow.”
Overcoming obstacles
The speed of innovation is accelerating around the world. Competitive pressure is increasing everywhere. Moreover, we’re living in a fast-moving world dominated by globalisation and digitalisation, and the packaging industry is no exception. This raises potential barriers to collaboration. “Growing competitive pressure on one side, and the threat of over-transparency of data and information brought by digitalisation on the other side, may sometimes be seen as limiting factors preventing collaboration amongst value chain members,” said Ms Di Cunzolo. “Companies are rightly conscious about the strategic importance to protect their own IP space, so as not to give competitive advantage away – particularly when it gets to innovation and new technology development.
“I personally believe that a good way to address such concerns and effectively promote the collaboration spirit across our industry, is take the lead and always act reliably and responsibly, so as to ensure the best possible balance between sharing of expertise and need for confidentiality, at all stages of a strategic collaborative engagement.”
Commitment
I put it to Ms Di Cunzola that ‘collaboration’ has become something of a buzzword: lots of businesses say they are doing it – with varying levels of commitment. “I could not agree more about how much used and abused the word has become,” she responded. “In general though, in our conversations with customers, brand owners, retailers, equipment manufacturers and packaging industry experts, we hear a growing number of players convinced that the industry as a whole needs to get more and more strategically engaged in a collaborative and circular approach. Many years ago already, Dow launched a marketing communications campaign that was all themed around the concept of “We Don’t Succeed, Unless You Do”. Such a statement could not be more modern today... Collaboration is now, more than ever, the key to success. It’s the driving force that will generate sustainable development, innovation, and last but not least, competitive advantage in our industry.
“The power of Pack Studios’ offering is the breadth of Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics product portfolio, technical expertise and application knowledge to offer total packaging solutions that can be developed and leveraged everywhere across the globe, while ensuring local agility for fast commercialisation of new solutions. Having said that, we are obviously not alone in this industry; in fact, I personally look forward to seeing other players in the packaging arena willing to invest in collaboration resources and models that can further accelerate innovation and growth across the value chain. Again like we said, collaboration is the name of the game and we expect so much more to come in the future!”