In response to the increasing consumption and demand for more sustainable packaging, Metsä Board (a supplier of paperboard packaging) has inaugurated its new Center of Excellence. A place dedicated to innovation and equipped with the latest technology.
The center has modern technologies for R&D and packaging design. Its goal is to accelerate innovation in materials and packaging and to provide a collaborative platform for customers and technology partners around the world.
“As the volume of packaging continues to increase, it is becoming essential to find new sustainable solutions to replace fossil materials and implement the principle of circularity. The ‘center of excellence’ concept allows us to offer cardboard and packaging solutions that take into account the entire value chain and not just individual parts. With the available know-how, skills and tools, we can optimize performance throughout the packaging life cycle,” said Mika Joukio, Metsä Board’s CEO.
Based in Äänekoski, Finland, the center covers 1500 square meters. It includes R&D facilities, a packaging design studio, a customer feedback center and a laboratory offering more than 100 measurement and analysis methods. It also has a virtual store and a computer-aided engineering (CAE) tool for sophisticated simulation and analysis of packaging performance.