The smartest and most sustainable industry suppliers in the corrugated industry were honoured with awards on 22nd October at the end of the FEFCO Technical Seminar in Copenhagen. The Technical Committee issued seven awards at the end of the three-day event in Copenhagen.
- The Gold award was for Best Innovation went to Ilmay Karamanlar from Dücker Conveyor Systems for a research and development pilot project on customised and automated loading of finished product pallets on trucks.
- The Silver Award went to Javier Quesada from Kento for a project integrating two printing technologies (flexo and digital) in one hybrid machine, combining flexibility in printing technologies and reducing print costs.
- The Bronze Award went to Constantin Ritter from BHS Intralogistics for flexible paper roll handling on the corrugator, reducing manning and limiting unsafe clamp truck movements.
- The Health and Safety Award was given to Tristany Serra from SERRA for the use of electronic sensors for forklifts, making them dummy-proof and rendering plants safer.
- The Sustainability Award went to Elizabeth Staab from H.B.Fuller for the effort to make adhesives, starch additives and adhesive coated tapes more sustainable.
- The Best Presentation Award, out of some 62 six-minute spotlights delivered during the seminar, was won by Bernhard Mueller and Christin Haubner, from BHS Corrugated, for their interactive presentation. Their solution simplifies the interlinked connection between BHS and the corrugator processes.
- The most Inspiring New FEFCO Member Award went to Openpack’s CEO and Managing Director Stefan Uebelacker and Head of Innovation and Business Development Kurt Salman for creating a dedicated corrugated app connecting all the players in the corrugated industry.
There was also a Lifetime Achievement Award for Peter Dücker from the Dücker Group, for his dedication to the corrugated industry and for his valuable input in developing, introducing, and supporting high level and innovative material handling technology.
FEFCO’s new Director General, Eleni Despotou, said the awards reflected the vibrant innovation in the sector. “The pandemic had triggered people and companies’ new perspectives, helping them to think differently about their products, processes and systems. Thus, every big challenge brings opportunities.”
