Technologies packaging manufacturers help customers fight against product piracy at Global Packaging Alliance's annual meeting; GPA members want to offer customers effective and cost-efficient ways to protect their products
Mathew Kearney
HANOVER, Germany and DUBAI
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February 7, 2014
(press release)
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Which technologies can packaging manufacturers use to effectively help their customers fight product piracy? Members of the Global Packaging Alliance (GPA) addressed this and other issues at their annual meeting held from 20 to 24 January in Dubai. Representatives from the global consortium of independent, medium-sized packaging manufacturers also looked at new solutions for industry trends in packaging printing. The meeting focused on technology concepts, including modular "all-in-one solutions" in web offset for medium-format and high-performance digital printing solutions aimed at meeting long-term demand for shorter lead times and smaller batch sizes.
According to the latest reports, EU customs officials confiscated nearly 40 million counterfeit products in 2012. This resulted in damages suffered by branded goods manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies in particular – including customers of GPA members. With this in mind, the GPA annual meeting addressed new security technologies and track & trace solutions for packaging production. "GPA members want to offer their globally-active customers standardized, highly effective and cost-efficient ways to protect their products," explained Hans-Christian Bestehorn, GPA spokesman and CEO of the rlc | packaging group, a GPA charter member. Members also shared their experiences with new inline technology as a method of choice for shorter lead times. Participants also discussed trends in digital printing in response to the growing demand for low-volume packaging print runs.
The main objective for the group of medium-sized packaging companies is to coordinate production processes and quality standards worldwide. "This will enable us to provide customers with even better service across the entire value chain and help them maintain a consistent global brand image," Bestehorn said, summing up GPA joint activities.
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