Packaging innovation

We explore and evaluate polymers, fibres and emerging material concepts to reduce environmental impact while maintaining performance. By testing recyclability, resource efficiency and functional properties, we help customers identify both today’s sustainable choices and tomorrow’s promising new materials.

We test oxygen, moisture, oil and chemical barriers to understand how different solutions protect products over time. This helps our partners secure stability, safety and performance across food, cosmetics , pharma and industrial applications.

We develop and test new packaging designs and production methods, supporting everything from early prototypes to process improvements. By simulating real conditions, we help customers refine ideas and ensure functionality before full-scale manufacturing.

Our specialists provide support in materials, processing, regulations, testing methods and sustainability assessments. We share knowledge through training, collaboration and hands-on guidance, helping you make informed decisions throughout the packaging journey.

Our advanced test centre evaluates materials and packaging under mechanical, thermal and chemical stress to verify quality and suitability. We analyse recyclability, purity, barrier properties and processability, giving you reliable data to guide development and ensure compliance.

Innovation is a core part of how we develop our business and create value for customers. We combine deep material knowledge with creative problem solving, practical testing, and close collaboration across our European sites. Our approach is hands on and iterative: we explore ideas early, test them quickly, and build on what we learn. By working closely with customers, suppliers, and our internal experts, we can transform opportunities into solutions that are both functional and future ready.

The Emballator Innovation Center is a shared resource that supports product development across the Group and in customer projects. It helps explore, test and refine ideas by providing design concepts, material guidance, prototyping and performance testing. Working closely with Emballator’s operating units, the Innovation Center validates new technologies, evaluates materials and solves technical challenges. Rather than delivering finished products, it strengthens development work and enables faster progress and well‑informed decisions throughout the organisation.

We work hands‑on with new materials and technologies through systematic testing and analysis. In our mechanical, thermal and barrier labs, we assess polymers, fibres and compounds to verify recyclability, purity, shelf‑life and processability - both in virgin materials and recycled blends. By evaluating oxygen, moisture, oil and chemical barriers, we can determine suitability for food, cosmetics, pharma and industrial applications. This science‑based approach allows us to identify solutions that are both innovative and ready for real‑world production.

Customer collaboration is central to our innovation process. We often start with workshops or early design discussions to understand needs, challenges, and future ambitions. From there, we develop sketches, prototypes, and proof of concept solutions that can be tested and refined together. This open and iterative way of working helps us identify opportunities quickly and ensures that the final solution is grounded in both customer insight and technical expertise.

Sustainability and regulatory development are built into our innovation process from the beginning. We assess materials, design concepts, and packaging solutions against circularity principles, recyclability guidelines, and the requirements of regulations such as the PPWR. By combining technical knowledge with early interpretation of regulatory trends, we can help customers prepare for the future and create solutions that meet both performance needs and legislative expectations.