The packaging industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by rising environmental awareness, urbanisation, sustainability, healthy living, and digitisation, and the growing importance of technologies, such as connected packaging, sustainable/eco-friendly packaging, and active packaging. In the last three years alone, there have been over 310,000 patents filed and granted in the packaging industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Packaging: Easy tear composite wrappers.

However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilising and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

80+ innovations will shape the packaging industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the packaging industry using innovation intensity models built on over 87,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, web dispensers for rotary baggage wrappers, multilayer laminated packaging, and oxygen blocking laminate packaging are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Water-soluble packaging films, cartridge type beverage dispensers, and medical syringe packaging are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are detachable drawer-and-shell type containers and barrier coated containers, which are now well established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the packaging industry

Easy tear composite wrappers is a key innovation area in packaging

Easy tear composite wrappers are used for purposes, such as tampon overwrapping and food wrapping. Their properties include stiffness and easy tearability.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 30+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established packaging companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of easy tear composite wrappers.

Key players in easy tear composite wrappers – a disruptive innovation in the packaging industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to easy tear composite wrappers

Dow is one of the leading patent filers in easy tear composite wrappers. Some other key patent filers in the space include Yara International, Keystone Folding Box, and Mars. In the segment, Cadbury recently launched a new innovative resealable packaging that enables consumers to lock the wrapper with a twist after it has been partially consumed. The company’s aim behind this innovation is to promote healthy snacking.

In terms of application diversity, PPG Industries leads the pack. Yara International and Dow stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Keystone Folding Box held the top position, followed by Abbott Laboratories and Aventisub II.

Easy tear composite wrappers will potentially become an important aspect in the packaging industry. The need to improve consumer convenience will drive their popularity.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the packaging industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Top Themes in Packaging 2022.

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.