The packaging industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven around increasing the shelf life of the product, automation, and recyclability, and the growing importance of technologies, such as biodegradable packaging, Internet of Things, and active packaging. In the last three years alone, there have been over 310,000 patents filed and granted in the packaging industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Environment Sustainability in Packaging: Biodegradeable food packaging.
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 stabilising 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.
80+ 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 87,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, mechanical waste processing, flexible receptacle type refuse containers, and blow moulding with energy recovery are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Sustainable packaging paper coating, MFC coated packaging paper, and hydroponic culturing are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are starch biopolymer packaging and dismountable greenhouse coverings, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for environmental sustainability in the packaging industry
Biodegradable food packaging is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability
Biodegradable packaging is easier to recycle, as it is made from eco-friendly materials. They cause less carbon emission thereby reducing climate change. Moreover, they are produced using less energy and are non-toxic in nature. Despite having its own advantages over plastic, biodegradable packaging has some limitations too.
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 30 companies, spanning technology vendors, established packaging companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of biodegradable food packaging.
Key players in biodegradable food packaging – a disruptive innovation in the packaging industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to biodegradable food packaging
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Huhtamaki is one of the leading patent filers in biodegradable food packaging. Huhtamaki launched ICON packaging, an innovative technology, which was initially used for ice cream containers and lids. This technology facilitates recycling in communities across the US that have a paper product recycling programme.
Some of the other key patent filers in the biodegradable food packaging space include Zume, Polymateria, and Gruppo illy.
In terms of application diversity, Kuraray leads the pack, while CJ and Stora Enso stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Multisorb Technologies held the top position, followed by Polymateria and Gruppo illy.
With rising consumer awareness pertaining to environmental protection and the impact of packaging materials, biodegradable packaging will potentially become an important aspect in the packaging industry.
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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