The packaging industry is seeing changes in internet of things investment across several key metrics, according to an analysis of GlobalData figures.

Internet of things is one of the key themes across global industries, with top companies around the world completing internet of things deals, hiring for internet of things roles and mentioning it in company reports at the start of 2021.

GlobalData’s thematic approach to sector activity seeks to group key company information on hiring, deals, patents and more by topic to see which industries are best placed to weather the disruptions coming their way.

These themes, of which internet of things is one, are best thought of as “any issue that keeps a CEO awake at night”, and by tracking them, it becomes possible to ascertain which companies are leading the way on specific issues and which are dragging their heels.

One area in which there has been a decrease in internet of things investment among packaging companies is in the number of deals. GlobalData figures show that there were two internet of things deals in packaging in the second quarter of 2019. By the second quarter of 2021, that number was one.

Hiring patterns within the packaging sector as a whole are pointing towards an increase in the level of attention being shown to roles related to internet of things. There were 1,173 actively advertised-for open packaging roles within the industry in the second quarter of this year, up from 301 in the same quarter last year.

It is also apparent from an analysis of keyword mentions in financial filings that internet of things is occupying the minds of packaging companies to a lesser extent.

Internet of things was mentioned in 14 company reports of the biggest packaging companies in Q2 2021. This figure represents a decrease compared to the same period in 2019, when 88 industry filings mentioned internet of things.

Internet of things is decreasingly fueling innovation in the packaging sector. There were, on average, 51 packaging patents related to internet of things granted in the second quarter of 2019. That figure has fallen to 14 patents in the last quarter of 2020.