Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging, has announced its plans to build two new state-of-the-art innovation centers. The new facilities in Ghent, Belgium, and Jiangyin, China, will welcome customers as of mid-2022, with full build-out over the next two years. The total investment is expected to be approximately USD 35 million.
“Our innovation centers have already become trusted destinations for some of the world’s biggest brands as they work to improve both the sustainability of their products and the overall consumer experience,” said Peter Konieczny, chief commercial officer for Amcor. “We’re excited to expand our global innovation network and remain the growth partner of choice for customers across the world.”
The innovation centers announced will include differentiating features that are in high demand from customers. The centers will include immersive customer experience facilities to generate consumer insights, run co-creation sessions and conduct rapid prototyping. There will be advanced analytical and material science labs and dedicated pilot manufacturing equipment. The company also said that the centers will have packaging machinery that replicates customer operations to run trials without disruption to customer production, and the latest packaging recycling and composting know-how across multiple materials.
“Our innovation and design centers offer customers a unique space to test new ideas and technologies across a variety of materials and formats without disrupting commercial operations,” said William Jackson, Chief Technology Officer for Amcor’s Flexibles business. “Our customers will be able to access our innovation capabilities wherever they are in the world and benefit from a seamless transfer of expertise and knowledge across the network.”
Amcor dedicates more than $100 million annually to its industry-leading research and development activities. The company was the first packaging solutions provider pledging to develop all its products to be recyclable or reusable by 2025 and is on track to meet that commitment.