Ed. Note: This article was previously posted at IoP Journal.
Dec 14, 2022"I want everything smart packaging can offer." That was how Steve Walsh, an executive at Haleon, presented his challenge to technology supplier companies onstage at the recent AIPIA Congress 2022 event, hosted by the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA) on Nov. 14–15. The manufacturer of products such as Advil, Voltaren and Sensodyne launched a challenge to achieve an authenticity guarantee, a circular economy and improvements in the consumer experience.
AIPIA and Haleon came together ahead of the Amsterdam event to discuss Haleon's Active and Intelligent Packaging Challenge. According to Eef de Ferrante, AIPIA's executive director, a growing number of brand owners are recognizing that with rapid developments in the digital age, recycling, food waste and supply chain issues are at the top of their concerns. "Packaging has a unique opportunity to play a significant role in enabling and facilitating connected platforms," he said, "and providing greater consumer engagement and increased confidence in products."
Onstage: Haleon's Steve Walsh
De Ferrante believes that offering more sustainable products and promoting shelf-life extension are part of such efforts. "As such," he told attendees, "Haleon is looking to integrate smart packaging to enhance the consumer experience, provide traceability, increase safety and security, as well as extend shelf life or reduce waste."
The three companies that presented the best proposals, in the view of Haleon executives who attended AIPIA Congress 2022, were Securikett, Ennoventure and AlmaScience. Each company brought a complementary vision to the demands of Haleon's challenge, with more than a dozen entrants given four minutes each to present their ideas and suggestions.
