• The entity closes the year with 24 new members and is positioned as the main packaging cluster in southern Europe.

On December 16, 2024, the last meeting of the year of the Packaging Cluster Board of Directors was held, gathered at Finca Batllori (Subirats). The different representatives who govern the entity (see here the 12 current members) monitored the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan as well as the main actions and projects that will be carried out by the cluster for the next year.

On this occasion, the Board of Directors also served to take stock of the year 2024, which has served to promote several initiatives such as the presentation of sector studies (sector quantification and barometer) as well as the organization of more than 25 activities, 5 specialized training courses and a business innovation mission to Finland. It also highlighted the management of more than 20 projects focused on sustainability, digitalization and internationalization.

This dynamism promoted by the entity has brought new companies closer to the cluster, which closed the year with 24 new members, now with 150 members as the main packaging cluster in southern Europe (see cluster map here), which is also the only European entity that has had the highest international cluster certification for years, the Gold Label.

The Activity Plan and Training Plan for 2025 were also announced, which includes 2 international missions to Bologna (Italy) and Colombia, 2 Packaging Cafés to promote dialogue and interaction between professionals. Also the participation in 5 international and national fairs, where the tour to Advanced Factories (Barcelona) stands out, visits and meetings at the K fair (Germany), a joint stand at Empack (Madrid), among others. At the training level, there will also be a course on legislation, one on Artificial Intelligence, one on effective communication, another on legislation and finally one on eco-design.

Among the activities, the one on business growth that will be held at the beginning of the year with ACCIÓ also stands out, in order to help the companies in the cluster to gain dimension. This new service will address the three major obstacles that limit growth: business culture; the type of business model; and access to financing. There will also be a meeting at the Mare Nostrum supercomputer, where the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the industry will be discussed.

The Board of Directors also approved the entity's budget, which is around €600,000 in income, which will allow it to comply with the approved plans and projects, as well as to provide services to the entity's members. Next year will also serve to make the new Strategic Plan of the entity, which will have the participation of key people in the sector.

Finally, remember that participation in the Board of Directors is open to all members of the entity. In this case, we were able to enjoy the presence of members who participated as attendees, such as TIAF, Pere Valls, Martapack, TPL and Innovapack. The next Board of Directors will meet at the Hotel Qgat (Sant Cugat del Vallès) in February 2025.

The Packaging Cluster

The Packaging Cluster is a non-profit entity that was established in 2012 by several Catalan companies and that today brings together more than 150 active members among companies, knowledge centers and entities that represent the entire value chain of the packaging sector. The main objective of the entity is to help improve the competitiveness of the companies that make up it, with the aim of solving the challenges of the current context, promoting innovation and generating new business opportunities.