Skåne packaging and food

New forms of packaging start in Skåne!

Skåne in southern Sweden is one of Europe’s most

vegetables as fresh as the day it was caught or

dynamic regions when it comes to packaging. Many

­harvested. This important development owes much

modern types of consumer packaging originated here.

to the co-operation between the food company

Companies such as Tetra Pak and Åkerlund & Rausing

Findus, Frigoscandia* and Åkerlund & Rausing

are widely regarded as the founders of the modern

– all of which originated in Skåne and are based here.

consumer packaging industry. In the 1960s, Tetra Pak, which is currently the world’s largest packaging company, revolutionised the

Besides being an innovation centre for the packaging industry, Skåne’s fertile soil and mild weather conditions has traditionally

distribution of dairy products by

made it a centre for food production.

introducing aseptic packaging

Close cooperation between brand

technology. Åkerlund & Rausing (now Å&R Carton and Flextrus) pioneered many of the packaging technologies commonly

owners, food producers and the packaging industry in the region therefore occurs naturally. Today, Skåne’s industry, research

used today, such as modified atmosphere packaging

institutions and universities are working alongside

(MAP) for the chilled distribution of food.

strong local and multinational food, drinks and

pharmaceutical companies to create the packaging

It was also in Skåne, that freezing technology

was first introduced to Swedish consumers, making it

solutions of the future.

possible for food producers to supply fish, fruit and

* A large Swedish company which specialises in freezing, storage and distribution. Now divided into FMC Foodtech and Bring Frigoscandia.

flextrus

Continual innovation and development A recent example of local packaging innovation comes from Ecolean AB. Ecolean develops, produces and sells sustainable, lightweight packaging solutions, primarily for the dairy industry. Its unique stand-up pouch is made of a flexible material, produced from chalk and polymers.

Ecolean is already enjoying considerable success on several markets, most notably in Asia and Russia. Recently, the company introduced an aseptic filling line, which is of great interest to brand owners wishing to package products with a longer shelf life.

Other examples of successful packaging companies in the region are Flextrus, European leader in the production of flexible material with advanced barrier solutions, Å&R Carton, a global leader in paperboard packaging, and Wellplast, which manufactures a type of corrugated plastic as an alternative to corrugated cardboard.

These are just a few examples chosen from among the hundreds of small and medium sized companies in Skåne which are currently driving developments in the packaging industry.

Flextrus, a leader in flexible barrier packaging in Northern Europe, builds on the entrepreneurship and expertise of its ancestor Åkerlund & Rausing. Flextrus AirLite® achieves a substantial weight reduction with maintained performance and excellent consumer appeal.

OneCafé OneCafé® offers patented “brew in the cup” solutions, providing consumer convenience and state-of-the-art coffee experience.

tetra pak Tetra Recart®, the 21st century alternative for canned food, made of carton. Packages are filled before the whole product (package and contents together) is sterilized using steam at high pressure.

Å&R CARTON

wellplast

CekaCan® for security and convenience in a carton.

CekaCan is gas tight and provides excellent shelf facing, easy opening, portioning and reclosing.

Wellplast® is a unique, fluidproof corrugated material made from chalk and polypropylene.

The production methods and the products are patented in most of the world.

nord-emballage NoBag® is a patented carton and inner-bag in one. Made directly from carton blanks, it presents an air and liquid tight packaging solution.

Taking a holistic view Skåne’s academic institutions also play an important part in the research and development of the packaging of the future. Lund University with its Institute of Technology and Engineering Faculty (LTH) is particularly active in this field.

Since logistics and packaging, are so closely connected, Skåne’s educational institutions generally take a holistic view of the two disciplines. For example, the department of Packaging Logistics at LTH educates students in all aspects of product and packaging design, from raw material to end-user, including transport, recycling and recovery.

The Next Generation Innovative Logistics, NGIL, is a VINN Excellence Centre based at Lund Institute of Technology, Lund University. It is one of Europe’s best logistics research platforms, and serves as a knowledge centre for packaging and logistics companies. The research currently taking place at LTH will undoubtedly have a significant impact on future ways of working. For example, the influence of innovative packaging solutions on sustainability and supply chain performance, traceability and food safety issues are all hot topics. The introduction

Read more about Skåne Food Innovation Network at www.skanefood.com

Exceptional development potential of RFID technology in packaging systems looks likely to play a major role in future logistics.

Those working in the southern Swedish food industry are connected by Skåne Food Innovation Network (SFIN).

This organization is both an important driving force and a test bench for new, innovative packaging concepts. It covers the whole value chain from the leading European food research institutions situated in Skåne, to marketing, distribution and retail, and is thus well-placed to inform its members about the opportunities and challenges facing the packaging industry.

Lund University is ranked sixth in the world when it comes to publishing management logistics research, according to the Transportation Journal. However, packaging-related research at Lund University, is not confined to logistics. The University is also a globally recognised research centre for bio- and nanotechnology, both of which are of great interest to packaging developers. Since new materials or new coatings are a prerequisite for sustainable development, the packaging industry has much to gain from cooperating with the world class researchers at Lund University.

There’s a lot happening in and around Skåne, in terms of infrastructure and development. For example, a new kind of Silicon Valley is starting to emerge, focusing on nanotechnology and stretching geographically from eastern parts of Denmark to the Hamburg region in Germany. Its development is facilitated by the new bridge, connecting Denmark with Germany just north of Hamburg, which is due for completion in 2018.

Since the opening of the Öresund Bridge in 2000, Malmö and Copenhagen form a kind of “megacity” with exceptional development potential.

Another development driver is the establishment of ESS, European Spallation Source, which is soon to be built in Lund. This prestigious project, a next generation materials research ­facility using neutrons, is expected to involve several thousands of researchers from all over the world. Material development will be a key research area for ESS, which means material science (and in turn, packaging) is likely to be one of its main beneficiaries.

Adjacent to ESS, another research facility, MAX IV is under construction. MAX IV will be a world leading facility for studies of particles at a nano level using synchrotron light.

The EU promotes the setting up of clusters in a ‘triple helix model’ with close cooperation between university, industry and government seen as a way to boost economic development. Business Region Skåne applies this model, by backing clusters in Life Science (Medicon Valley), Cleantech (Sustainable Business Hub) and Mobile Communication (Mobile Heights) among ­others. A multitude of projects are run within these clusters, often involving both academia and industry, with very positive results.

PackBridge PackBridge is the name of a new cluster initiative which focuses on the packaging value chain. Its aim is to build a dynamic network involving manufacturers, users, academia and local authorities, potentially leading to development of new products and services.

How can better packaging solutions support a sustainable society? This request will be an increasingly important driver of packaging innovations in the future. The aim is to increase the rate of successful innovations in this field through more effective collaboration and cross fertilization in the value chain for fast moving consumer goods.

With its long history of packaging innovation and its broad array of food, logistics and packaging companies,

Skåne is the perfect location for new packaging initiatives.

It is centrally located in Scandinavia with convenient transport connections to the rest of Europe. This, coupled with the establishment of ESS, guarantees Skåne’s continuity as a dynamic consumer packaging development centre.

Judging by its past achievements and present trends, Skåne looks set to be the birthplace of many new exciting packaging innovations in the future!

Invest in Skåne – by promoting the food, life science, cleantech, packaging and logistics industries in Skåne – also contributes to a bright future for packaging companies based in this area.

packaging industry

packaging industry (fmcg)

service providers

Universities, Institutes