DS Smith, leading supplier of sustainable fiber-based packaging, announces the launch of its global research and development (R&D) and innovation center, "R8". This new facility enables DS Smith, its customers and partners to accelerate the research and development of radically new packaging solutions.
Located near Birmingham, UK, the R8 center includes a 4,000 m² pilot hall, four laboratories, packaging chambers, an ideation and design studio, prototyping areas and collaboration spaces. As well as housing the DS Smith Group's innovation and R&D teams, it is designed to stimulate research into manufacturing, making the most of the growing demand for sustainable packaging and the innovation needed to meet it.
Stefano Rossi, General Manager of DS Smith's Packaging Division, explains: "Our customers include some of the world's most iconic FMCG brands, online retailers and industrial players, so innovation and sustainability are among their top priorities. Our global R&D and innovation center will facilitate the collaboration we know is needed to solve some of the industry's biggest challenges. We will work in partnership with our customers to help them make the transition to the circular economy, focusing on innovative packaging solutions that use new materials and technologies. Nothing is off limits - we've designed the center to encourage examination of existing ways of working and explore all possibilities, particularly for service offerings in the packaging supply chain."
With R8, DS Smith has created a collaborative space that enables it to cover the whole spectrum of innovation under one roof: from the development of new technologies and materials, ideation and concept development, product testing and development, to prototyping and pilot projects for customers.
Projects will focus on key industry drivers related to sustainability, supply chains and data. Intelligent packaging for supply chain tracking and control, alternative natural resources in papermaking, reusable fiber-based packaging and technologies, and advanced barrier technologies for food and industrial applications are all areas to be explored.
Among R8's cutting-edge technologies is a modular pilot line, inspired by the automotive industry and developed in Italy, which uses robots to manufacture packages from multiple components and fill them at high speed.
Stefano Rossi continues: "We believe in sharing expertise to help customers reduce waste, streamline production and increase sustainable productivity. At the heart of this is a strong commitment to reducing plastics, opening up new avenues for alternative fibers and designing for total waste elimination."
Sustainability is an integral part of DS Smith's inherently circular business model, and is underpinned by its "Today and Tomorrow" strategy. This ambitious plan focuses on the sustainability challenges facing the world today, as well as those that will impact future generations, enabling the company to lead the transition to a low-carbon, circular economy.
To support DS Smith's commitment to the circular economy, the R8 center is carbon neutral. It has been designed for reuse and deconstruction, and uses reconditioned furniture, solar panels and air-source heat pumps.
