Page 24 - Packaging New magazine Jan-Feb 2023

SMART PACKAGING
‘Creative chaos’ reigns at congress
The Active & Intelligent Packaging Association congress in Amsterdam in November delivered news and demos of the latest in smart packaging technology and methodology. Communications director Andrew Manly filed this report for PKN.
DELEGATES, PRESENTERS AND exhibitors attending the first live AIPIA con- gress since 2019 all agreed that
it was great to finally get back to face- to-face business. The 2022 Congress, although smaller in size, seemed to have lost none of the dynamic the event is famous for. In a notably disruptive sec- tor of packaging the ‘creative chaos’, which has been an AIPIA hallmark, was clearly in evidence. And with more than 30 presentations ranging across every aspect of smart packaging there was a lot of technology to catch up on.
TOP THEMES
Several themes emerged from the two days, notably the need to share and act upon the data which smart packaging enables brands and retailers to collect about consumers and products. In one of the first keynote presentations Anita Etrati of Accenture explained how a convergence of smart and connected technologies is transforming humble packaging into a new source of real value and how it need to be acted upon with more vigour.
Of course the role smart packag- ing has to play in sustainability was a prominent issue. Several presenta- tions covered how these technologies are an enabler and an educator about, for example, collection and recycling of different packaging. Guido Schmitz of InnCreReal (and formerly of Bayer) is a vocal advocate of the important place Smart Packaging has in this area. He believes sustainability is front and cen- tre, “It is no longer just a topic for most companies but a demand”.
The importance of data was rein- forced by several other speakers, notably in a panel discussion which included several brand owners, includ- ing AB InBev and J&J. The panel emphasised that smart packaging opens a new dimension to the collection and
delivery of data. This data flows two ways, outwards to suppliers, retail- ers and customers and internally to improve production, distribution, mar- keting and even NPD. Being able to interpret this stream of data is vital. All stakeholders in the supply chain need to change their way of thinking about how to handle data, to ensure it is shared across all parts of the business.
Another theme was the growing importance of active packaging as a means to reduce food waste and improve a product’s environmental footprint. Opening the congress, Angela Morgan of APTAR told delegates that while pack- aging has always been a help in reducing food waste, now active and intelligent packaging technologies are offering new options to reduce this waste. Several other speakers developed this theme. Danny Hacohen of Evigence Sensors offered use cases showing that sensors
Above: A mix of disruptive tech and creative ideas emerged at the AIPIA Congress.
can measure freshness objectively, enabling shelf life extension, leading to waste reduction, improving consumer perception of freshness and simplifying store inventory management.
CONNECTIVITY
One of the most important discussions centred around how consumers can be educated to better understand the bene- fits of smart packaging and how it is easy for them to connect to it. Several speak- ers demonstrated consumer friendly technologies, for example Martin Stahel of Zappar, as usual, brought the first day proceedings to a rousing climax with more examples of how augmented reality (AR) is being used to both entertain and inform consumers about the products they buy. He showed how the solution has evolved both in terms of what the tech can deliver and how brands are using AR to generate commercial value.
24 ❙ JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2023
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