The new facility, called R8, allows DS Smith, its customers, and partners “to accelerate the research and development of radically new packaging fulfilment solutions”, according to the company.
Located near Birmingham, the facility includes a 4,000sqm pilot hall, four laboratories, conditioning chambers, an ideation and design studio, prototyping areas, and collaboration spaces.
As well as being the home of DS Smith’s group innovation and R&D teams, the site is intended to spearhead research in manufacturing, maximising on the growing demand for sustainable packaging and the innovation needed to deliver it.
Stefano Rossi, CEO of DS Smith’s Packaging Division, said: “Our customers are some of the world’s most iconic FMCG brands, online retailers, and industrial players, so innovation and sustainability are very high on their agenda. Our global R&D and Innovation Centre will facilitate the collaboration that we know is needed to solve some of the industry’s biggest challenges.
“We will be partnering with customers to help them transition to the circular economy by focusing on novel packaging solutions that deploy new materials and technologies.
“Nothing is off the table – we have designed the hub to encourage scrutiny of existing ways of working and explore all the possibilities, especially for service-based offerings in the packaging supply chain.”
The facility will cover from early technology and material development, ideation, and concept development, testing and product development, through to prototyping and customer pilots.
DS Smith said projects will be informed by key industry drivers rooted in sustainability, supply chains, and data. Smart packaging for tracking and monitoring the supply chain, alternative natural resources in papermaking, reusable fibre-based packaging and technologies, and advanced barrier technology for food and industrial applications, are all areas for exploration.
Among the new technologies at R8 is a modular Pilot Line, inspired by the automotive industry and developed in Italy, which uses robots to make boxes from multiple components, and fill them at high speed.
Rossi added: “We believe in sharing expertise to help customers reduce waste, streamline production, and increase sustainable productivity. At the heart of this is a solid commitment to reducing plastics, paving new pathways for alternative fibres, and designing out waste altogether.”
In support of DS Smith’s Now & Next sustainability strategy and its commitment to the circular economy, the R8 facility is carbon neutral. It has been designed for both re-use and deconstruction, and uses reconditioned furniture, solar panels, and air-sourced heat pumps.
Separately, DS Smith said it is increasing its innovation footprint in the Romanian market with an investment of over €13m (£11.2m) in its Ghimbav production site. The work at Ghimbav is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 and will support customers’ sustainability goals as well reducing carbon emissions on site.
This investment will support ongoing plastic replacement with customers, increase capacity by over 20%, and significantly boost productivity.
The investment will support the company’s goal to meet Net Zero emissions by 2050. The upgrades at Ghimbav will reduce the site’s gas consumption by 12% and cut its carbon emissions by 210 tonnes of CO2 per year through the introduction of a steam optimisation feature to the cardboard production machine.
Furthermore, the installation of a new LED lighting system, part of DS Smith’s group-wide rollout, will contribute to the company’s target to reduce carbon emissions by 46% by 2030. DS Smith has also introduced advanced waste management technologies that reduce electrical consumption by around 10% on site.
