While there are many different developments at play here, there are also numerous barriers stalling innovation across the space. From sustainability, to testing standards, to governance surrounding equipment development, we took a look through some of the biggest factors stalling progress across the industry:
• Regulations limiting scope to new development - one barrier to entry is the limited scope for new developments caused by regulation. It's fair to say that more recently, governance – set by bodies such as ECHA - has become tighter for various reasons surrounding sustainability and toxicity of gases. As a result, the industry is having to find new alternatives
• Paint development barriers – in relation to the point above, many different types of paint can now only be made with a limited list of ingredients or regulated quantities that can vastly change the quality of the coating. While this need to discover new mixes is leading to the sourcing of new solutions, innovation is somewhat tempered as many blockers surrounding the contents of coatings are preventing progress
• New electronics causing equipment issues – for test and inspection partners like Industrial Physics, development of testing machines can be made tricky by new electronics. This involves alternative approaches being made regarding the set up of testing instruments that lead to new avenues being explored
• Challenges around testing standards – Our global survey of packaging professionals revealed that 49% of individuals are concerned about current testing standards in relation to sustainable packaging materials. And what's more, coatings, printing, and labelling were cited as the most challenging area for testing of sustainable materials