Amcor's new European Innovation Center brings brands the latest in material science and packaging design
Amcor has inaugurated its European Innovation Center (AICE) in Ghent, Belgium, enhancing its global network of packaging innovation hubs.
This new center aims to pioneer sustainable and high-performance packaging solutions, integrating advanced material science and innovative designs.
The AICE offers end-to-end services from concept to commercialization, utilizing the Catalyst™ approach, a flexible and collaborative methodology.
Key facilities include the Material Science Center, Customer Engagement Center, E-Commerce Lab, and the forthcoming Packaging and Recycling Test Center.
The center will focus on developing recyclable, compostable, and reusable packaging, aligned with Amcor's sustainability goals for 2025.
- Opening of a new Innovation Center in Belgium marks significant investment in sustainable packaging.
- AICE will pioneer new material technologies to reduce carbon footprint.
- Focus on recyclable, compostable, and reusable packaging aligns with 2025 sustainability goals.
- On-site prototyping lab allows quick creation of test packaging solutions.
- E-Commerce Lab certifies packaging for e-commerce shipment, enhancing market adaptability.
- No immediate financial data provided highlights potential revenue impact.
- Initial investment costs for the AICE may be substantial without immediate returns.
- Unspecified timeline for operational readiness of the Packaging and Recycling Test Center.
Amcor has opened its European Innovation Center in
"The opening of the Amcor Innovation Center Europe is a significant investment towards more sustainable, circular, and innovative packaging," said Michael Zacka, President Amcor Flexibles Europe,
In its Innovation Center Europe, Amcor supports brands from concept to shelf using its Catalyst™ approach. This flexible, collaborative, and creative co-development methodology creates packaging solutions that take into account a brand's market, consumer needs, sustainability and recyclability requirements, and customers' existing production lines.
To support this end-to-end collaborative process, the AICE facilitates a range of activities:
- The Material Science Center creates innovative packaging materials that can drive down packaging's carbon footprint; for instance, by introducing recycle-ready mono-material solutions that can match the performance of common mixed-material solutions; or switching to bio-based and recycled polymer alternatives. The center also supports developments in high-barrier paper packaging and vapor-deposited nanocoating. In the analytical labs, new materials are tested using the most advanced techniques.
- The Customer Engagement Center supports collaborative sessions and boasts an observation room for consumer focus groups. Packaging appeal and usability can be tested in an on-site retail simulation area, plus in kitchen, living room and bathroom settings where consumers and marketers alike can interact with packaging. The on-site prototyping lab can quickly create different packaging solutions for test participants to try out.
- The E-Commerce Lab tests and certifies packaging according to ISTA 6 standards, to validate packaging for shipment through Amazon and other e-commerce distribution chains.
- The soon-to-be-added Packaging and Recycling Test Center will house small-scale packing lines which mimic brands' own packing lines for in-house machine trials. Recycling equipment will allow Amcor to evaluate packaging for ease of recyclability in the real world.
"We want to create packaging that consumers like, and that is better for the environment," said Noemi Bertolino, Vice President Research & Development. "The packaging needs to look appealing, and be easy to open, portion and close. It also needs to be suitable for current and future collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure. At the AICE, we can test packaging against these requirements. For example, in our Customer Engagement Center, we can test whether a child-resistant push-through blister pack for pharmaceuticals is easy for an adult with arthritis to open."
Amcor has set ambitious sustainability goals for itself. It has pledged to develop all its packaging to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025, and to significantly increase its use of recycled materials. In line with this sustainability commitment, the Amcor Innovation Center Europe is housed in a building that is designed and built according to BREEAM sustainability certification standards.
Find further information on the AICE and Amcor's Catalyst™ innovation services within
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About Amcor
Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions across a variety of materials for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly lighter weight, recyclable and reusable, and made using an increasing amount of recycled content. In fiscal year 2023, 41,000 Amcor people generated
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SOURCE Amcor
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