Graphic papers innovation process
The creation of a new product is based on several considerations carried out by the Group and its partners in terms of technological innovation, laboratory research and prediction of future consumption. Besides the focus on the market, one of the main goals of the group is to promote an increasingly circular economy and create sustainable products at the level of raw materials, processes and end-of-life. Also for this reason, Burgo is part of a European alliance, 4ever Green, which promotes sustainable behaviour in the paper industry and beyond.
Innovation, competitiveness and circularity are the basis of every product concept, as explained by Gianfranco Gaiano in this dedicated interview.
What are the activities of the Product Development and Quality Department?
The activities of Burgo Group Product Development and Quality Department are related to industrial research, the development of the products of the entire Burgo Group, quality as product performance, and the certified systems of the company, primarily related to forest management and food quality. Then we include everything related to sustainability.
Burgo Group's drivers in this area are product innovation and competitiveness in the market. Indeed, another relevant factor is circularity, thus designing a product by thinking about its reuse and its final use.
Last but not least, we have the different facets of sustainability, regarding both the raw materials, their supply and use, and the process.
How does the Group manage the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy?
The Burgo Group has a decades-long tradition and experience in the field of circularity. This tradition started with graphic papers, and today the primary issues of circularity are still dealt with in graphic papers, but also in special papers and packaging papers, which are produced both from virgin and recycled fibres.
Furthermore, Burgo is part of the 4ever Green transversal alliance, promoted by our sector association in Europe. The alliance involves manufacturers of paper, cardboard, and pulp, alongside recyclers, converters, and also final customers, such as brand owners and technology providers.
The purpose of the alliance is to promote fibrous-based packaging that is compliant with circularity and climate neutrality.
Which kind of organizations does Burgo Group cooperate with?
Burgo Group has a central lab, which is used for specific studies and also as a support for the activities of the plants. Furthermore, Burgo has been collaborating for years with Italian and foreign institutions in the sector, as well as with the technology providers, as partners on pilot plants.
Furthermore, Burgo cooperates with Italian universities, and with external collaborators for very specific quantitative detailed analysis, especially in the food-related sector.
How is a new product born in Burgo?
A new product originates from market analysis, technical and thus application considerations, and innovation. These three references are often developed in cooperation with partners, whether technology partners or also commercial partners, such as customers. Then they become a business plan, that can begin with laboratory activities as industrial research or as preliminary development.
After that, we move on to an industrial preliminary test which is then finalized with the validation by the end-user.
The leads that we also have in marketing and future consumption head towards further growth in packaging. Such is a growth towards which Burgo has already steered for some years. So circularity and renewability will certainly be the drivers for the design of new products in this field.