The packaging industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by customization, convenience, ease to carry, high shelf life, and visual appeal, and growing importance of technologies such as nanotechnology, circular economy, RFID technology, and blockchain. In the last three years alone, there have been over 18,000 patents filed and granted in the packaging industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in packaging: beverage capsules. Buy the report here.

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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

30+ innovations will shape the packaging industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the packaging industry using innovation intensity models built on over 83,000 patents, there are 30+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, cellulose fiber 3D printing, multilayer barrier films and biodegradable packaging films are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Beverage capsules, clamshell-type packaging, and threaded container sealing are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are thermal-insulated containers and multi-pack shrink wrapping which are now well established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the packaging industry

Beverage capsules is a key innovation area in packaging

Beverage capsules are pre-packaged containers that enclose a beverage ingredient, such as coffee beans, tea leaves or powdered milk, which can be used with a machine that processes the contents of the capsule to produce a single serving of a beverage such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or other customized beverages.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 65+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established packaging companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of beverage capsules.

Key players in beverage capsules – a disruptive innovation in the packaging industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.   

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to beverage capsules

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Nestle 869 Unlock Company Profile
JDE Peet's 547 Unlock Company Profile
Freezio 385 Unlock Company Profile
Philip Morris International 301 Unlock Company Profile
Kruger 249 Unlock Company Profile
Unilever 188 Unlock Company Profile
Japan Tobacco 165 Unlock Company Profile
British American Tobacco 92 Unlock Company Profile
Alpha Associati 88 Unlock Company Profile
The Kraft Heinz 88 Unlock Company Profile
Tyson Foods 85 Unlock Company Profile
Focke 62 Unlock Company Profile
Melitta Single Portions 54 Unlock Company Profile
Coesia 44 Unlock Company Profile
Keurig Dr Pepper 39 Unlock Company Profile
Altria Group 38 Unlock Company Profile
SARONG 30 Unlock Company Profile
Finlav 29 Unlock Company Profile
Hausbrandt Trieste 1892 25 Unlock Company Profile
Piovan 25 Unlock Company Profile
Touch Coffee & Beverages 22 Unlock Company Profile
ColdSnap 17 Unlock Company Profile
Mars 16 Unlock Company Profile
Anheuser-Busch InBev 16 Unlock Company Profile
Lukad 14 Unlock Company Profile
Goglio 12 Unlock Company Profile
Koninklijke Philips 12 Unlock Company Profile
Sigma Phase 10 Unlock Company Profile
Ahlstrom-Munksjo 10 Unlock Company Profile
Gruppo illy 9 Unlock Company Profile
B. Braun Melsungen 8 Unlock Company Profile
Koffie F Rombouts 8 Unlock Company Profile
Heineken 8 Unlock Company Profile
Mondelez International 8 Unlock Company Profile
Novadelta - Comercio E Industria De Cafes 8 Unlock Company Profile
Dong Suh Companies 7 Unlock Company Profile
Caffita System 6 Unlock Company Profile
Silgan 6 Unlock Company Profile
Productos Solubles 6 Unlock Company Profile
The Clorox 6 Unlock Company Profile
Berry Global Group 5 Unlock Company Profile
Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund 5 Unlock Company Profile
Parkside Flexibles (Europe) 5 Unlock Company Profile
Sara Lee 5 Unlock Company Profile
Robert Bosch Stiftung 5 Unlock Company Profile
ATC GROUP 4 Unlock Company Profile
Aaa Accelerator Group Europe 4 Unlock Company Profile
PepsiCo 4 Unlock Company Profile
Ohki 4 Unlock Company Profile
Luigi Lavazza 4 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Nestlé is one of the leading patent filers in beverage capsule. Nestlé introduced compostable paper-based capsule, for at-home consumption, in France and Switzerland in 2022. The product is claimed to have biopolymer lining, which protects it from oxidization. Some other key patent filers in the space include JDE Peet’s, Freezio, Kruger, Unilever and Japan Tobacco.

In terms of application diversity, Freezio leads the pack, while Nestlé and JDE Peet’s stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Unilever held the top position, followed by Tyson Foods and Hausbrandt Trieste 1892.

Beverage capsule will gain appeal among consumers seeking convenience, quality, and customization in their beverage experiences. Moreover, as long as beverage capsule companies continue to innovate, enhance sustainability efforts, and provide high-quality and convenient products, they are likely to remain popular.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the packaging industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Packaging.

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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.