The Future of Smart Packaging Solutions: Trends and Technologies to Watch

Opening a box of medicine, a milk cart, a fancy perfume box or even a typical snack pack wrapper may not seem like very attractive items upon first viewing. Unless they encounter issues, most people aren't much worried about packaging. When a product is damaged, leaks on the way and doesn't look nice when it's displayed on a store shelf, then packaging suddenly becomes the focus of attention. It tends to fade otherwise.

That is changing.

Packaging in the last few years has started to take on roles that would have never been dreamt of 10 years ago. It's called upon to guarantee product quality, combat counterfeit, drive sustainable goals and even forge digital connections between brands and consumers. Packaging is changing from being a protective barrier to a source of information and intelligence in some industries.

It's not a change that companies decided to make packaging more complicated. Rather, companies are reacting to another type of difficulties. Supply chains have become globalized. Requirements are more stringent. The mandate for transparency has developed for customers. Alternatively, new technologies like sensors, wireless communication and cloud-based analytics are more readily accessible and less expensive than ever.

Due to this, the Smart Packaging Solutions are shifting from experimental projects to actual business tools.

The packaging industry is getting more involved in the larger technology discussion
When walking through a manufacturing plant these days, it is usually a discussion about automation, artificial intelligence, data analytics and digital transformation. Ten years ago, packaging was scarcely a topic of those conversations.

Today, it does.

It's because it's straight-forward. Companies are learning that packaging occupies a special place in the product lifecycle process. It's in manufacturing, storage, transportation, retail distribution and use by its customers. Few other product components travel through so many stages.

For this reason packaging has become a valuable source of information.

This growing role is driving interest in Intelligent Packaging Technology. Packaging is not a passive container anymore but can carry information regarding the status of the product, product movement and authenticity. It may be extremely useful to manufacturers that have fragile products.

Take into account pharmaceutical products that need strict temperature control. In the distribution centers, in airports, trucks and warehouses, products can go through on their way to the destination. It used to take days and weeks to find out if there was a temperature related problem. With intelligent packaging technologies, alerts can be issued much earlier today, allowing companies to react in time before products are affected.
While the technology matters, it's the visibility factor that matters more.

The Surprising comeback of the QR Code

The QR code is one of the most surprising technologies to find a second life.
QR codes have been around on products for several years, and there were times when they weren't used. Many consumers ignored them entirely. Some brands added them simply because they seemed innovative at the time.

Now it's a completely different story.

QR code packaging has become a consumer marketer's favorite tool thanks to the wide use of smartphones. It was once a direct link to a website, but is now used to deliver product history, sustainability information, instructional videos, customer support and promotional campaigns.

For instance, a coffee company can use a QR code to inform its customers about the origin of its coffee beans. A food manufacturer can explain ingredient origins. A machinery supplier can recommend buyers the installation guides, maintenance documentation.

That's interesting to note is that QR code packaging is not a costly infrastructure or complicated hardware. It is already known to consumers and adoption is not overly difficult. The best innovations aren't necessarily the most complicated.

They're simply the ones that solve real problems.

Why Connected Packaging Systems Are Gaining Momentum

In today's day and age, consumers have come to expect information at their fingertips.
They don't only read what is written on the package when comparing a product, when they read the reviews or when they find information about the ingredients. This is one of the reasons why Connected Packaging Systems are still in the spotlight in various industries.

Connected packaging thus forms a link between tangible objects and digital experiences. Nevertheless, firms do not need to restrict themselves in the amount of information they can place on labels, as they can include more information online, directly from the label.
The possibilities extend well beyond marketing.

Some organizations use connected packaging to support customer service initiatives. Others may use it to enhance the traceability of their products or to promote recycling initiatives. In some instances, connected packaging has been integrated into the broader loyalty and engagement program.

What's emerging is that packaging is not the final point of contact with the customer. Increasingly, it serves as the beginning of one.

Not All Smart Packaging Looks High-Tech

The expression Advanced Smart Packaging conjures up images of futuristic designs with electronics and digital displays.

But in fact, many of the most influential innovations are almost imperceptible.

A freshness indicator on an item of food in the package is unlikely to catch the eye of the consumer, but can contribute to reducing waste. Nothing seems special about a pharmaceutical temperature monitoring label, but it can save you a lot of money when shipping pharmaceuticals. The sensors can be hidden in packaging materials and simply gather data without the consumer knowing.

That's where Smart labels and sensors are helping to make a difference.
Recent progress in printed electronics has enabled the integration of monitoring system directly into packaging systems. These technologies can track values like temperature, humidity, vibration and more along the entire supply chain.
That information can prove to be very valuable for companies that deal with sensitive products.

Being able to use the knowledge of potential issues before products are delivered to customers can enhance quality control and waste and operational reduction.

The Growing Interest in NFC-Enabled Packaging

Although QR codes are still in use, NFC-enabled packaging is slowly on the rise.

NFC technology can be used to unlock information by touching a package with a smartphone, as opposed to QR code technology, which requires scanning with a camera.

The exchange seems natural and one of the reasons why brands are looking into it.

But convenience is just part of the equation. NFC authentication is increasingly becoming an important application. From pharmaceuticals to cosmetics, luxury goods to electronics, counterfeit goods are an issue in many sectors.

With the NFC capability in packaging, the companies can give a unique digital identity to their products, which makes verification easier for distributors, retailers and consumers.
With costs dropping further, NFC is expected to grow at a much higher rate in the coming years, according to many industry watchers.

Sustainability Is Influencing Every Packaging Decision

Sustainability can't be overlooked when considering the future of packaging.

Whether it's dry food, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, or industrial equipment, environmental fears are upsetting the business strategy.

This change is evolving the investment in Sustainable smart packaging solutions.

The challenge isn't simply making packaging smarter. It's making it smarter without creating additional environmental burdens.

Manufacturers look at the use of recyclable substrates and materials based on nature, as well as production methods that are less harmful. Smart technologies are helping reduce waste by delivering improved monitoring and inventory visibility, meanwhile.

Interestingly, sustainability and technology no longer conflict as two goals. They are now viewed as complementary goals for many businesses.

Any package that helps reduce spoilage, enhance inventory accuracy or contributes to recycling can benefit both the operation and the environment.

Looking Ahead

Smart packaging solutions and smart technologies will continue to grow in the future by becoming more connected, more informative and more responsive.

Packaging will likely generate more and more data, which will be analysed by artificial intelligence. New opportunities for customer engagement will be developed through Digital Packaging Innovations. The active and intelligent packaging technologies will enhance product protection and contribute to sustainability.

This shift may be one of the most intriguing elements – at times, the consumer is not even aware.

This package will look remarkably like what it is today on a store shelf five years in the future. The difference will lie beneath the surface. Hidden within that package may be sensors, authentication tools, connectivity features, and data-driven capabilities that quietly support a smarter supply chain.

Packaging's traditional role isn't disappearing. Products will always need protection.
What's changing is that packaging is being asked to do much more than that. And for many businesses, that additional value may become just as important as the product inside.

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