Huhtamaki & Emerald Technology Ventures invite start-ups and experts at the forefront of packaging innovation to join forces in driving circularity

HUHTAMÄKI OYJ PRESS RELEASE 27.11.2023 AT 10:00 EEST 

Huhtamaki, global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, will bring together the packaging industry, start-ups, experts and investors at the joint Huhtamaki and Emerald Technology Ventures workshop “The Future of Packaging: How to make packaging better, smarter and more sustainable.”  The innovation workshop will be held on December 1, 2023, in Helsinki, Finland at Slush 2023, the world’s leading event for growth companies. More than 100 participants at the forefront of packaging innovation from across the world will join forces and work together to solve packaging circularity. 

“Packaging plays an essential role in securing accessibility, safety, hygiene, and affordability of food and everyday necessities for people around the world. The value of packaging is high, for instance, in helping to solve the problem of food waste that contributes 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling of packaging, a valuable resource, remains the next big challenge that needs partnerships across the industry and visionary start-ups to solve.” 

“Huhtamaki continues to introduce breakthrough innovation for packaging circularity, such as technologies for high-barrier flexible mono-material structures, high-precision fiber technologies for complex shapes, and paperboard containers with re-pulpable coatings. We need to do more together across the packaging life cycle to develop more sustainable solutions and ensure the recycling of packaging,” says Marina Madanat, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Huhtamaki. 

Emerald Technology Ventures – a leader in sustainable industrial technology venture capital – announced the launch of a fund focused on sustainable packaging in April 2022. The fund, in which Huhtamaki participates, is one of the first venture-backed investment vehicles targeting the financing of innovations across the full packaging lifecycle.  

“We are thrilled to be working with Huhtamaki in the push to transform the packaging sector and excited to meet promising start-ups in Helsinki. Our fund invests in start-ups developing advanced material solutions and digital technologies supporting corporates from the entire packaging value circle – raw material producers, converters, FMCG players, retailers as well as waste management companies and recyclers. Our aim is to help solve the largest sustainability challenges in packaging for global players across industries," says Gina Domanig, Emerald Managing Partner. 

“Systems thinking and acting across packaging life cycle is key to solving for packaging circularity. By uniting our strength as a global leader in sustainable packaging, visionary startups, and dedicated funders, we have the unique opportunity to drive breakthrough innovations for a more sustainable future together,” says Marina Madanat. 

Event information 

The Future of Packaging Workshop – How to make packaging better, smarter and more sustainable 

Time: Friday 1.12.2023, 10:00–12:00 

Venue: Messukeskus Siipi, venue 101C 

Address: Rautatieläisenkatu 3, 00520 Helsinki 

For further information and media registrations, please contact:   

Maria Tomminen, Senior Manager, Media Relations & Engagement, tel. +358 44 3252 714   

HUHTAMÄKI OYJ   

Global Communications  

About Huhtamaki

Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions for consumers around the world. Our innovative products protect on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverages, and personal care products, ensuring hygiene and safety, driving accessibility and affordability, and helping prevent food waste. We embed sustainability in everything we do. We are committed to achieving carbon neutral production and designing all our products to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030.  Our blueloopTM sustainable packaging solutions are designed for circularity.  

We are a participant in the UN Global Compact, Huhtamaki is rated ‘A’ on the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment and EcoVadis has awarded Huhtamaki with the Gold medal for performance in sustainability. To play our part in managing climate change, we have set science-based targets that have been approved and validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative.  

With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 37 countries and 116 operating locations around the world. Our values Care Dare Deliver guide our decisions and help our team of around 19,000 employees make a difference where it matters. Our 2021 net sales totalled EUR 3.6 billion. Huhtamaki Group is headquartered in Espoo, Finland and our parent company, Huhtamäki Oyj, is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Find out more about how we are protecting food, people and the planet at www.huhtamaki.com.   

About Emerald Technology Ventures 

Emerald is a globally recognized venture capital firm building a sustainable future at the crossroads of industry and technology. Founded in 2000, it is a pioneer in open innovation, providing multi-national corporations with rich deal flow and insight in the sectors and markets of tomorrow. Emerald manages and advises assets of over €1 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm is dedicated to tackling big challenges in climate change and sustainability via over 500 venture transactions and five third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups. www.emerald.vc