the conference ThinkTank Packaging, organized by the Cluster of Innovation in Container and Packaging, brought together more than 200 attendees online. ThinkTank Packaging It was a space for reflection and debate around such relevant aspects as innovation, emerging technologies and new business models that directly affect all types of companies.
For two days, they debated how the innovation and technologies Disruptive factors can help companies cope with changes in the packaging value chain and be highly profitable. Around twenty experts offered practical examples of how to innovate to face current challenges, which have even led to changing business models.
The first session, held on March 8, began with the opening of Rebecca Torro, regional secretary for Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Commerce and Consumption. This activity had the support of the Club for Innovation of the Valencian Community, entity of reference in the promotion, dissemination and use of innovation and continuous improvement in the company.
One of the outstanding reflections came from experts in new emerging and disruptive ICT-based technologies that are now ready to be implemented in the company. An example of this is Blockchain technology, defined as} a digital notary that is going to mean a before and after to the industries ”, according to the CEO and co-founder of witrac, Javier Ferrer. Similarly, from Blockchain Work Lab, Sergio Velasco He highlighted the importance of subsidies and collaboration in this area to achieve implantation in companies.
Albert Gaspar, de Robotics & Vision Technologies, stated that Artificial Vision allows processes such as "detecting defects in products, identifying them, making traceability, changes that have a direct relationship with the competitiveness of the company."
From ITI, technology center specialized in ICT, Raul Hussein He spoke of the incorporation of the 'Digital Twins', which, for example, would allow the packaging to "offer brands information that can describe purchasing behavior." Digitizing the packaging processes would make it possible to expand "the knowledge that brands have with the customer and have all their traceability". He also added that the use of predictive intelligence allows "to qualify what is happening in the process, for example detect leaks in a bottling process, and know what the behavior will be in the future, predict the percentage of leaks to take measurements, for which it is necessary to digitize the data ”.
From nunsys, your strategy director, Joaquin Carretero, highlighted several projects such as the use of technologies for quality control in drums, to resize pallets, or an innovative specific system for returnable containers.
Collaboration and open innovation
Likewise, during the first day, collaboration was highlighted as a key factor in innovation and market growth. Especially, the open innovation of companies from different sectors, hand in hand with Guzman Lopez. Francis More, a professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, highlighted "the work of the Cluster as a way for project collaboration and above all, as a boost for competitiveness".
Joan Marti, Director of the Clusters Unit at Acció, also pointed out the “mission of the clusters to help companies transform and serve as a point of union between different sectors” and indicated that “80% of the members believe that the Cluster has helped overcome the Covid-19 crisis ”.
They also participated Bart Kamp de Orchestra, Sergio Gordillo de improve y Francis Alapont de fermax, who reflected on how servitization is changing the focus of companies on the product, to go on to connect with the final consumer "which will allow them to be more useful in the market and with the consumer, as well as survive in this situation", such as Sergio Gordillo, CEO of Improven said.
At the last discussion table of the first day, they spoke Clara Martínez from the University of Valencia, Cesar Taboas of Royo Group and Eleanor Romero from KM0 Food Innovation Hub.
Innovational projects
The next day, the companies Grefusa, Consultia Travel, Gimeno Group and Innovation Club They presented projects that stand out not only for their results, but also for the great value of the collaboration process.
At this point Pilar Vanaclocha, Director of R + D + i at Grefusa, highlighted the "groundbreaking nature of the company since it was founded 90 years ago, as a result of the need to differentiate ourselves". In this sense, he pointed out the different way of communicating, as well as counting on the consumer throughout the innovation process.
An example of this philosophy of "co-creating with the client" is the launch of its Snatt's brand, in which they made "the end user participate, from the concept to the ideas, being a brand that grows year after year." Similarly, the person in charge of Grefusa added the importance of incorporating all "colleagues from different areas in the innovation process, ideas from all departments to test and validate, which enrich the entire process", highlighting that the company promotes "transversality and the culture of innovation".
Meanwhile Jose Guillermo Berlanga, R + D + I director of the Gimeno Group, explained the innovation process developed in response to the pandemic, where they studied whether it was possible to detect and quantify the virus in wastewater. The result of this has been "covid water", which they have managed to turn into a service "where we have achieved a high level of knowledge in the matter".
Finally, Juan Manuel Baixauli, CEO of Consultia Travel, announced the total transformation process that his company has undergone, deciding that the future “was not going to go through having physical points but digital ones, deciding a disruptive change based on new technologies to reach new niches market ”. At this point, he concluded that "over time, a large part of the innovation is provided by the human team itself, creating committees to lead projects."
The conference had the support of the Department of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Labor of the Generalitat Valenciana.
