Trends and changes in the world around us can mean both threats and opportunities for the packaging industry. In countries such as China the rapid growth creates great potential for the packaging industry, but it also means that the Chinese packaging suppliers are starting to compete in the European market. Important issues such as this were discussed at a workshop at Innventia on 24 November. The theme of the workshop, which is part of the ongoing Foresight Project, was Foresight and Packaging and it was organised jointly by Innventia and Private Owner’s Association Packforsk.
"Industry dialogue and discussion are central to the foresight work and this workshop is an important part of the Foresight project. In many areas, such as productivity and exploitation of resources, collaborations along the value chain is well needed, "says Carl Olsmats, project manager at Innventia.
Energy was especially highlighted during the day with presentations and a discussion on what the EU energy policies could mean for the packaging industry. How and where can the packaging value chain contribute to the EU targets for energy savings? The discussion pointed to key areas such as the contribution of packaging to efficient and lean logistics, and the role of packaging in reducing damage and waste. The Foresight project uses the method Backcasting to analyze the possible ways forward in terms of packaging and energy.
The results of the workshop will be documented as part of a project report which will be launched during the winter.
