Smurfit Kappa has announced that its Design2Market Factory will be expanding across Europe, after a successful first year in operation.
The packaging firm noted that the innovative facility, which enables customers to test and adapt their packaging on a small scale before market launch, will be replicated across Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK.
Arco Berkenbosch, chief innovation officer, Smurfit Kappa, said, “The journey of the Design2Market Factory has been remarkable, and the trust placed in us by many industry-leading household names is testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence at speed.
“Broadening our European footprint will help more customers to stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape and achieve their sustainability goals, in line with our ‘Better Planet Packaging’ initiative.”
Sustainable Packaging Solution
The original 3,000-square-metre innovation hub, in the Netherlands, has been home to over 50 successful projects for some of the world’s biggest consumer brands, the company noted.
Smurfit Kappa highlighted that its multidisciplinary team takes a packaging challenge and designs a new solution, which is ready to be tested in the market, in just two weeks.
In addition to reducing risk and turnaround time, the Design2Market Factory provides customers with a ‘sustainable packaging solution that reduces their carbon footprint and supports their recyclability targets’.
The user-driven prototypes are designed in collaboration with customers, combining creativity, technical expertise and advanced AI models, to address specific needs.
So far, the team has created, analysed and launched many innovative solutions on the market, including shelf-ready packaging for detergent, a paper-based replacement for shrink wrap, and a complete range of e-commerce solutions.
The Design2Market Factory also creates packaging solutions that meet Amazon’s certification standards.
