LAST WORD
The last WORD
The innovations enigma Keith Barnes looks at how the industry can make sure it stays at the forefront of innovation
In our current economic downturn there are two areas of help within the packaging world. The first is resource efficiency, or in layman’s terms, cost reduction, and the second is more innovation.
companies ahead of the competition. It also helps SMEs to climb to the top of the ladder. It is what keeps businesses competitive and in our current climate, this is paramount. As Chairman of the Packaging
I
Society, it is encouraging that so much work is being undertaken at pure research level in Universities and often, with new chemistry (such as nanotechnology) being the outcome. Even though such technologies are not being designed with industries such as ours in mind, they do offer intersting prospects for packaging. Also, much can be seen on the
Keith Barnes is the Chairman of the Packaging Society.
web via the Materials KTN. However, apart from this, major brand owners and large design studios are aware of the responsibility they have to maintain innovation. It’s also therefore up to them to see opportunities for
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PackagingGazette.co.uk
nnovations are the added value element in a marketing toolbox and are essential to keep large
innovation and react to them. Innovation is already taking place
in our industry. Just looking at the recent Starpack competition, you can see new ideas emerging. In particular, I loved the Orbit easy open metal closure created by Crown Closures Europe that is currently available on Duerrs jams and marmalades. This makes the opening of jars easier for all, but especially for our ever-ageing population. Although I cannot give details, I was lucky enough to be a Worldstars judge recently and innovations were not just being seen in Europe, but on a global basis. So we must all be looking for
those new ideas all the time. Keep your eyes (and ears) open at all times to gain inspiration from every aspect of your life. Whilst I have mentioned various routes to innovation, do not forget that your own company may well have hidden talents that can be stimulated to come up with the next new idea. Think about having regular ‘brainstorming’ sessions at work. These should be no more than an hour and utilise the most diverse group. Collect all thoughts for later analysis. I have run such sessions in the past and it is surprising what the production line worker or the yard sweeper can suggest.
Keith is the current Chairman of The Packaging Society, which was created through the recent merger of the Institute of Packaging (IOP) with the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). He also represents Packaging on the IOM3 Industry and Technology Policy Board and sits on IOM3 Council. In addition he is a member of the Energy Materials Group, the Sustainability Development Group and the Surface Engineering Committee. In 2005, he was awarded Chartered Scientist status within IOM3.
For more information, visit
www.iom3.org/ packaging.
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