The new R&D centre will help meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions and strengthen customer collaboration, insight and knowledge transfer
Mondi to invest €5m in a new research and development (R&D) facility at Mondi Steinfeld, Germany. (Credit: Mondi)
Packaging and paper firm Mondi has announced an investment of around €5m in a new research and development (R&D) facility at Mondi Steinfeld in Germany.
According to the firm, the facility will aid customers to develop new solutions and achieve their sustainability goals.
When completed, the centre will have pilot lines for both plastic and paper-based solutions from the coating, film extrusion and printing to filling lines for several products.
It will also have an analytical laboratory and a dedicated floor for a customer experience centre for an open atmosphere to meet and work with consumers at an early stage of new technology development.
Mondi said that the R&D centre will gather specialists with in-depth expertise in various packaging materials.
There will be a variety of printing equipment, as well as extrusion coating, aqueous coating, siliconization, horizontal and vertical filling, shaping, and sealing equipment.
The packaging firm said that the filling lines will enable customers to undertake trials without hampering their own running production.
In addition, the facility enables Mondi to collaborate with its clients to quickly go from an initial idea to a scaled-up solution.
Mondi R&D and IP Flexible Packaging head Elisabeth Schwaiger said: “This R&D centre demonstrates our hands-on approach to developing sustainable packaging solutions at Mondi.
“We look forward to working with our customers, combining their knowledge with ours to meet their sustainable packaging goals.
“The investment helps to contribute to our own Mondi Action Plan 2030 sustainability goals, specifically our target to make 100% of our products reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.”
Expected to be operational by the end of 2023, the new centre will join Mondi’s existing R&D facilities, including the recycling and food safety laboratories in Frantschach, Austria.
Earlier this month, Mondi introduced Hug&Hold, a compostable, paper-based solution to replace plastic shrink wrap for PET bottle bundle packs.