Discover your next big idea in food packaging & processing this Sept.
Experience a breakthrough in food packaging & processing—explore solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries at PACK EXPO Las Vegas.
REGISTER TODAY & SAVE

Five trends boosting intelligent packaging adoption

Smithers Pira identifies five cutting-edge technologies and trends that are pushing brand owners toward intelligent packaging.

A smartphone-readable tag on Beam Suntory’s Bombay Sapphire Gin is an example of enhanced consumer engagement.
A smartphone-readable tag on Beam Suntory’s Bombay Sapphire Gin is an example of enhanced consumer engagement.

According to new Smithers Pira research, The Future of Active & Intelligent Packaging to 2023, the combined active and intelligent packaging market value will reach $5.68 billion in 2018, with the active packaging market valued at $4.62 billion and the intelligent packaging market valued at $1.06 billion. The combined market is forecast to grow at an annual average rate of 5.9 percent, hitting $7.56 billion by 2023.

Active packaging demand is being driven by the desire to keep food fresher for longer, to reduce food waste and to promote more convenient packaging for consumers. Although it is more mature and has slower growth predictions compared to intelligent packaging, there are substantial development opportunities for active packaging technologies in niche markets.

Intelligent packaging, on the other hand, is at a developmental stage of the product life cycle. Intelligent packaging is a dynamic and potentially high-growth market with developments in printed electronics, microsensors, authentication platforms and the Internet of Things (IoT) driving the adoption of new technologies.

Brand owners want a usable product that adds real value to their brands, not just a technology or sub-component, or a product that is simply a short-term gimmick. Smithers Pira identifies five trends that are boosting the appeal of intelligent or “smart” packaging.

1. Consumer engagement through smart packaging

How to achieve greater consumer engagement is currently one of the biggest drivers of intelligent packaging for brand owners. Smart packaging can make a real difference in packaging the way a product is marketed. Major brand owners are seeing the value of using the pack to make direct contact with the consumer.

A recent example of smart packaging being developed to encourage consumer engagement is the strategic partnership between two U.K.-based businesses—IoT (Internet of Things) specialist Evrythng and the augmented reality (AR) developer Zappar—announced in October 2017. The partnership empowers brands to drive consumer interactions with AR experiences triggered by a QR code or similar digital trigger via Zappar’s AR content authoring and publishing platform.

A mark printed on a cereal box can encourage consumer interaction via a simple smartphone game—an approach already shown by other technology providers. The joint software platform developed by the companies allows these to be linked to Cloud-based Active Digital Identities for individual consumers that create real-time data and insights that brands can use to drive repurchase rates or other promotions.

Consumers increasingly view their smart devices as mediums to maximize personal productivity and avoid wasting time, money, and other resources. This means that mobile technologies will need to be simplified, and their connection to packaging and retailing more intuitive to use. One major future trend, the use of smartphones for payment (mPayment), is now in its infancy with demonstration stores allowing the buyer to scan the item he or she is buying and automatically pay for them without a store checkout.

Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in food packaging & processing
<strong>At PACK EXPO Las Vegas you’ll see machinery in action and new tech from 2,300 suppliers, collaborate with experts and explore transformative solutions. Join us this September to experience a breakthrough in food packaging and processing.</strong>
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE!
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in food packaging & processing
Food safety excellence on a budget: The smart approach
When material costs rise and margins shrink, efficient cleaning becomes critical. Learn cost-effective sanitation strategies that enhance food safety while reducing resource consumption.
Read More
Food safety excellence on a budget: The smart approach