The packaging industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by urbanisation, sustainability, safety & trust, and growing importance of technologies such as 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 Internet of Things in Packaging: Dosage Metering Type Vials.

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, autonomous vehicles for warehousing, shipment tracking and authentication, and automated mixers and dispensers are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Mechanically actuated dispenser packaging and automated bundling tools are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are automated tissue dispenser and dosage metering type vials, which are now well established in the industry. 

Innovation S-curve for Internet of Things in the packaging industry

Dosage metering type vial is a key innovation area in Internet of Things 

Accuracy of dosage is extremely critical in the medical industry. In this regard, the purpose of dosage metering type vials is to ensure the accurate and consistent delivery of drugs. 

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 dosage metering type vials. 

Key players in dosage metering type vials – 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 dosage metering type vials

Becton Dickinson is one of the leading patent filers in dosage metering type vials. Some other key patent filers in the dosage metering type vials space include Grifols, Schott Kaisha, and ICU Medical.  

In terms of application diversity, DEKA Research and Development leads the pack, followed by Fresenius and Lohmann & Rauscher International in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Danaher held the top position, followed by Midea and Vetter & Co Apotheker. 

Stoelzle recently developed a reliable process for Type 2 glass vials. The innovative technique, named as EcoSecur, facilitates precise and reliable dosing tailored for smaller as well as larger bottles. 

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the packaging industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Internet of Things (IoT) in Packaging.

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.