By late May, there were indications that some IAPRI members, at least, in certain parts of the world were able to relax some of the restrictions on their operations that had been necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

We are close to the deadline to submit and send your files. We kindly remind you of the important dates. • Submission deadline is June 1, 2020* • The online conference starts on June 30 and the content will be available until December 31, 2020 *If you need more time please contact us at IAPRI2020@udem.edu

In the past weeks, the IAPRI Conference Team has been working on the IAPRI World Online Packaging Conference, for the first time to be held in a digital format.

Preliminary insights into the impact of the pandemic on the activities of IAPRI members paint a picture of very mixed experiences but often quite damaging effects on operations, with little clarity about when and in what form those activities might be able to resume.

IAPRI has created a web page to highlight our member’s current research projects. All members are encouraged to let others know about projects that could be of interest to the packaging world.

The IAPRI member institutes have elected three new directors representing the institute (Full) members and one director representing the corporate members to a three term.

Deeply concerned with the health and safety of all attendees, as a result of the global pandemic crisis of COVID-19, Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) and IAPRI Board Directors have monitored the situation during the last weeks and have decided that the 22nd IAPRI 2020 World Packaging Conference needed to be canceled.

The last winner of the IAPRI Student Exchange Scholarship sponsored by PepsiCo was Wanjun Chu, at the time a doctoral student at Linköping University, now he has had his research published.

Rochester Institute of Technology’s (RIT’s) packaging science team is part of multi-disciplinary research project in New York state, USA, looking at effective and affordable biodegradable alternatives to polyethylene (PE) mulch films used in agriculture, with funding delivered at federal level and by the state – as well as by RIT itself.

AIDIMME, Spain, has started work on a project to help regional producers of single-use wooden pallets compete with reusable Euro pallets, in part by the creation of standards for quality control, given that the only ISO standard in this area seems unhelpful.

Spain’s ITENE has been working with local start-up company CONTROLNANO on a new biosensor-based device to detect Covid-19 both in ambient air and in biological fluids, offering a compact, portable design, low cost and “instant results”.

As part of Nestlé’s commitment to reduce its use of virgin plastics by one third and make all of its packaging either recyclable or reusable by 2025, the multinational food and drink company has joined the European Plastics Pact.

At a time when many are temporarily losing any sense of smell – and taste – thanks to the effects of the coronavirus, Fraunhofer IVV has publicised its research into identifying off-odours in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film collected for recycling, and strategies for minimising them.

Graduate research scholarships are available for exceptional international candidates (subject to a competitive application process ) include tuition fees as well as a living allowance (stipend) of AU$28,200 (2020 rate) per year.

We find out more about Monterrey’s ABRE packaging innovation and design centre, the organiser of this year’s IAPRI Online Conference, and the important role it plays in Mexico’s consumer goods industry.

Ever since the German government fuelled awareness of the concept by utilising it to present its technology strategy back in 2011, the theme of Industry 4.0 has inspired development across the consumer goods, equipment, automation and packaging sectors (among many others), bound in as it is with other prominent buzzwords such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data.

The virus and IAPRI's response from Jay Singh, IAPRI President