Progress in packaging innovation often comes with a trade off: test directly on your production lines and risk disruption, or delay decisions because validation options are limited.

Our packaging development team saw a way to help customers test and validate new packaging without requiring the same downtime on their own lines. At our Amcor Innovation Center Europe (AICE) in Gent, Belgium we have a range of packing/filling machines like those used by our customers in their own production. Customer have the option to select and validate new packaging solutions at our facility, in a dedicated environment, allowing them to move faster and make confident decisions without disrupting their own operations.

By shifting key validation steps earlier and into a controlled environment with our experts, we can generate insights that closely reflect real production conditions while accelerating the approval process.

At Amcor’s Innovation Centre Europe (AICE), we run trials across multiple packaging formats, including VFFS, thermoforming, HFFS, and blister applications.

Here's what I've seen makes the biggest difference...

Early screening of new specifications

One of the biggest causes of delay is simply having too many specifications to test.

What I’ve noticed is that packaging trials allow us to screen and compare options upfront. By evaluating runnability, seal performance, and efficiency early on, we can guide our customers toward the strongest candidates before they even begin their own validation.

This means fewer iterations later, and much faster progress toward approval with more confidence in the outcome.

Customer trials without production downtime

Running trials on industrial lines can be costly and disruptive. Stopping production, wasting materials, and working within tight time constraints often limits the quality of insights gathered.

At our Innovation Center in Gent, our customers can come on site and run their packaging trials using Amcor’s equipment, replicating real production conditions without interrupting their own operations.

This means they can:
• Test materials under realistic conditions
• Observe performance in detail
• Explore different settings and scenarios
• Be guided and supported by our experts

In my experience, this leads to better insights, faster learning, and none of the downtime risk.

Begin shelf-life testing sooner

One common source of delays is shelf-life validation, which often can’t start until production-ready materials are available.

By producing packaging during trials, we allow our customers to begin filling, sealing, and testing immediately. This means tests for shelf-life, transport, or product compatibility can start much earlier, rather than waiting for the final production run. This parallel approach helps shorten the overall approval timeline.

Learning through real-world examples

Some of the most valuable learning comes from seeing trials in action.

I remember a healthcare customer who didn’t yet have their production line installed. By running trials at the Amcor Innovation Center with our Field Technical Service Team , we identified the right processing and sealing parameters ahead of time. So when their line was ready, they could start with confidence. The unknowns had already been resolved.

In another case, a confectionery company wanted to explore paper-based packaging for a snack bar. Their engineers joined us at the Amcor Innovation Center to see how the material behaved on flow wrap equipment. By observing sealing, tension, and machinability firsthand, they left not just with data, but with a real understanding of how the material would perform.

From trials to implementation

Packaging trials are not simply about pass or fail — they generate actionable knowledge.

Our trial capabilities cover Amcor’s full material portfolio: from paper-based structures (AmFiber™) to PE or PP recycle-ready solutions (AmPrima™), PVC-free blister systems (AmSky™), and retort materials (AmLite Heatflex™).

Each material behaves differently on equipment, and trials allow teams to understand and optimize these behaviors before scaling to full production.