PACKAGING INNOVATION MEETS PRODUCTION REALITY AT PACKAGING INNOVATIONS & EMPACK

Packaging Innovations & Empack is placing manufacturing practicality at the heart of its conference programme, with speakers from food, packaging and automation sectors exploring how ideas become commercial reality. Sessions will examine production efficiency, packaging innovation, sustainability regulations and automation, offering attendees insights they can apply on the factory floor.

The gap between innovation and implementation will take centre stage at Packaging Innovations & Empack, as industry leaders gather to explore how manufacturers can turn ambitious ideas into practical, scalable solutions.

A key focus of the event will be improving manufacturing performance without significant capital expenditure. Among the headline speakers is Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, who will draw on more than four decades of experience in robotics and automation. Wilson will discuss how manufacturers can use production data more effectively to uncover inefficiencies, boost output and reduce waste, demonstrating how operational improvements can often be achieved through better use of existing resources rather than costly new investments.

The programme will also shine a spotlight on the realities of bringing packaging innovation into commercial production. Greencore will present a detailed case study examining the development of itsu’s triple-cavity fibre tray, used for ready meals sold through Tesco.

In the session, Designed to stand out, built to run: Rethinking the itsu tray, Tom Stone, Head of Packaging at Greencore, and Sarah McManus, Packaging Development Manager, will take delegates behind the scenes of the project. The presentation will explore the challenges of translating a distinctive packaging concept into a format suitable for high-volume manufacturing.

From designing a tray capable of holding three differently sized meal components to overcoming issues surrounding sealing, handling and production line performance, the session will highlight the practical decisions that shaped the final product. By sharing lessons learned during development, the speakers hope to offer valuable insight into the compromises and problem-solving required when innovation reaches the factory floor.

The conversation will continue with a broader industry discussion on the manufacturing implications of evolving sustainability requirements. Stone will join Youssef Riad, Senior Engineering Program Manager at Mars, alongside manufacturing suppliers, for a panel session titled PPWR meets the factory floor: Will the new pack run?

The panel will examine the operational consequences of switching packaging materials in response to sustainability targets and regulatory change. Topics will include the impact on sealing temperatures, production line speeds, energy use and reject rates, as well as the wider challenge of balancing environmental objectives with manufacturing efficiency. Speakers will address whether packaging innovations designed to meet sustainability goals can also maintain the performance levels required in modern production environments.

According to Casey McHugh, Senior Conference & Community Manager at Packaging Innovations & Empack, the event aims to tackle the realities that often determine whether good ideas succeed or fail.

“The packaging industry has never been short of ideas. The challenge is making those ideas work when they meet the realities of production, regulation, cost and consumer behaviour,” McHugh said.

She added that the programme has been designed to bring together industry professionals willing to challenge conventional thinking, share practical experience and address difficult questions. Topics will range from the scalability of circular economy models Theatre. Organisers say further speakers and sessions will be revealed ahead of the event, which will also showcase packaging materials, machinery, automation technologies and supply chain solutions on the exhibition floor.