Blog

12 December 2024

SMARTSPACK Final Year Project
Technical Presentation

Research related to the SMARTSPACK project was disseminated in the final year project progress talks organised by the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at UM, held at the University of Malta Valletta campus. The presentation was titled ‘Modular Test jig for Smart Packaging Solutions‘ and delivered by Mark Mifsud

28 November 2024

SMARTSPACK End of Stage 2
Consortium Meeting

The SMARTSPACK team met for the last time for 2024! This marks the final meeting before the end of stage 2 of the project. We are looking forward to the upcoming third and final stage of SMARTSPACK, where interesting discussions and exciting advancements will be made! Looking forward to what the next stage has to bring

25-29 August 2024

ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conference (IDETC-CIE)
Washington, D.C., USA

Our paper, “Towards a Multi-User Experience Data-Driven Design Framework for Sustainable Smart Take-Away Food Packaging,” was presented by Tamasine Camilleri. The paper was co-authored with Prof. Ing. Philip Farrugia, Prof. Ing. Paul Refalo and Prof. Ing. Marvin Bugeja.

June 2024

Challenges in Designing Smart and Sustainable Packaging

In the constantly changing landscape of manufacturing and packaging, sustainability has emerged as a pivotal element driving innovation. As of 2021, the EU generated approximate 188.7 kg of packaging waste per person. The incorporation of smart manufacturing in the creation of smart packaging signifies a significant stride towards an environmentally conscious future.

27-31 May 2024

SMARTSPACK Collaboration

Max Peschel from the Munich University of Applied Sciences met UM’s research team working on the SMARTSPACK project. Our innovative packaging will be tested for usability on a customisable testing jig

10 May 2024

The Importance of Food Grade Paper for Packaging: Ensuring Safety and Quality

In the modern world, where convenience and hygiene are paramount concerns, the packaging of food plays a crucial role. Manufacturing boxes that come into contact with food using food-grade paper demonstrates a commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of packaged food products.

Food packaging not only preserves the freshness and quality of products but also ensures they remain safe for consumption. Among the number of materials available for packaging, food grade paper stands out as a preferred choice, particularly for items that come into direct contact with food.

April – May 2024

Consumers’ Expectations for Sustainable Smart Take-away Food Packaging

RSOII Tamasine Camilleri is conducting a questionnaire on smart sustainable take-away food packaging, to generate knowledge on what consumers require from such a packaging. This will be used throughout the SMARTSPACK project, to facilitate the user-centred design approach to the SMARTSPACK innovative packaging.

03 December 2023

Malta Independent Article – Unpacking the Future: How Smart Manufacturing Power Sustainable Smart Packaging

In the ever-evolving landscape of manufacturing and packaging, sustainability has emerged as a cornerstone for innovation.

29 November 2023

SMARTSPACK Usability Studies

SMARTSPACK held two usability studies to evaluate several packaging concepts with relevant stakeholders. This provided invaluable insight on their requirements for the SMARTSPACK platform, which will be developed throughout the project. Thanks to all participants for their invaluable insight and time

20 November 2023

THINK Magazine Article – SMARTSPACK and the Circular Economy: Closing the Loop on Packaging Materials

Packaging in the consumer product landscape might seem like gloss and glitter, but it serves an essential function: it presents the product to the consumer and safeguards it from harm. However, packaging is often quickly discarded and raises concerns regarding sustainability. Because of this, in the quest for more sustainable packaging solutions, the principles of circular economy are gaining prominence.