Tetra Pak and ESS Innovation Day fosters collaboration between institutions and industry on sustainable packaging 

Tetra Pak hosted an Innovation Day, bringing together academics from universities and research managers from leading companies, to discuss how the food packaging and processing industry can maximise the opportunities presented by the new international research facility, the European Spallation Source (ESS), to develop more sustainable packaging materials.

The ESS is expected to be completed in 2027 and when it comes into full operation, it will be the world’s most powerful facility for research using neutron beams. By using neutrons, an uncharged particle found in the atomic nucleus, the researchers will be able to observe different substances at a deeper granular level than ever before, thereby improving the understanding of materials and processes. Based on the world’s most powerful neutron source, the centre will house several multidisciplinary research projects. At the ESS, researchers will be able to study samples down to the atomic and molecular level.

Being held for the third time this year, the Innovation Day is an initiative driven by the ESS High Level Industrial Forum, an advisory body to the ESS. This year’s forum emphasises the involvement of researchers from universities, in addition to business leaders.

“As the ESS will open its doors soon, it is increasingly important for us to convene the centre’s future users, both from the scientific world and industry, to ensure that society can fully benefit from this world-class research facility. The ESS offers unique tools with unparalleled performance that, with the help of neutron beams, can provide new insights to solve the great challenges of our time,” says Helmut Schober, director general at ESS.

“Materials research is crucial in transitioning to a low carbon economy, and Tetra Pak has committed to investing approximately €100m per year in packaging research and development over the next five to ten years. We strive to design packaging with simplified material structures to lessen the environmental impact of our cartons. Neutron research has huge potential in uncovering important new findings, and the industry will benefit greatly from ESS and the opportunities that the facility provides,” says Joakim Tuvesson, head of material and packaging solutions at Tetra Pak, and the host of today’s Innovation Day in Lund.

This year’s Innovation Day will feature talks from Professor Toshiya Otomo from Japanese neutron research facility, J-PARC, on how industry-wide collaboration works in Japan, as well as Professor Mene Pangalos, former global research director at AstraZeneca and newly elected member of the ESS High Level Industrial Forum.

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