New packaging association founded

The Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association, AIPIA, based in The Netherlands, has already signed up over 40 ‘blue chip’ companies from the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and logistics industries, to drive the technologies out of the R&D phase and into commercial use.

Director of the new association Eef de Ferrante commented, ‘We have been delighted by the reaction to the formation of AIPIA. It seems all sectors of the industry agree the time to look at the commercial applications for active and intelligent packaging is right.’ Companies joining Motorola, NXP and Avery Dennison RFID – and logistic companies such as UPS and retailers Marks & Spencer – in supporting AIPIA include Dow Performance Packaging, DSM and Bayer.

AIPIA will be a ‘hands-on’ organization which is already well placed to bring together all parts of the supply chain to develop standards, implementation processes and communications platforms between production, packaging, logistics and the retailers.

‘Companies have spent many years developing RFID, Track & Trace, gas scavengers, sensors and antimicrobial products and materials. We now have the ability to bring these to a huge market, along with developments such as Nano-technology, NFC and mobile commerce. Thanks to the advances in telecommunications and mobile technologies consumers can now use their mobile and smartphones to communicate with the products on supermarket shelves and this is achieved through the packaging,’ continued de Ferrante.

‘The ability to scan products with your mobile to get discounts, join loyalty programmes and go to company websites or on-line catalogues is no longer just a possibility, it is a reality. But it needs a broad industry network to realize the full potential of these hi-tech packaging solutions and AIPIA provides that network,’ he added.

‘In addition knowing the condition of the product by using sensors, scavengers and antimicrobial or contaminant sensors will become the accepted means of monitoring product shelf life – no more sell by/use by dates. AIPIA will be able to monitor and react to new regulation and legislation about food waste.  Also this technology can enable the re-use of unused pharmaceuticals with the potential for huge cost savings,’ explained de Ferrante.

To help with the implementation process an AIPIA Showcase will take place in Japan in October 2012 where companies from across the supply chain will meet to set the future agenda for AIPIA. De Ferrante said, ‘Japan is further ahead in implementing and using active and intelligent packaging so will be an excellent venue for a first meeting.’

The meeting will develop an action plan for the AIPIA and discuss programmes to speed up the commercial use of Active and Intelligent Packaging. There are also advanced proposals to make the Showcase an annual event and run an associated exhibition alongside it.

Pictured: Eef de Ferrante, director of AIPIA