DS Smith Tecnicarton has confirmed it has received the 2026 GoldPack Award for Best Digitalisation Project, recognising its development of an automated packaging design configurator.
Presented by the packaging cluster organisation, the award recognises technological innovation within the packaging industry. DS Smith Tecnicarton’s winning project is a tool developed in-house by its Design department to automate the creation of 3D packaging designs across a range of formats, including corrugated board, wood, pallets and returnable packaging solutions.
The configurator converts customer requirements, including dimensions, material specifications and regulatory constraints, into a validated 3D design, technical documentation and a commercial quotation. By automating these processes, the system is designed to reduce repetitive manual design work while linking product definition, technical programming and digital publication within a single workflow.
“The configurator has generated more than 2,000 packaging models, ranging from standard FEFCO designs to more complex returnable packaging and flexible interior solutions,” said the company in a statement. “Built on the DriveWorks platform, the system applies engineering rules and design logic to automate tasks that have traditionally required manual input. DS Smith Tecnicarton says the approach enables it to combine automation with the flexibility needed to develop customised packaging solutions. The configurator integrates multiple stages of the business process by connecting technical, commercial and production teams. Technical requirements and design rules are incorporated into the system, enabling the commercial team to generate quotations and customer documentation more quickly, while helping to reduce errors between the design and manufacturing stages.”
The project was developed through collaboration between the company’s Design and commercial teams, alongside technology partner DriveWorks, which worked with DS Smith Tecnicarton to adapt its platform to the requirements of industrial packaging design.
