Academic research could be the answer in our quest for innovation

A better understanding of underlying science may help by taking away the all too common guesswork. Too much of our innovation is failing because we don’t understand fundamentals. Instead, we guess.

Over the past 10 years, the UK government has been pouring money into universities, and a transformation has been achieved.

Who says so? The Higher Education Funding Council. In a review of research quality, which looked at all subjects in great depth, they have unearthed an impressive result: all of our leading universities now have significant areas which are internationally leading.

The government has not been acting altruistically here. This investment is intended to underpin long-term economic prosperity. Examples relevant to packaging abound. One is predictive models of polymer behaviour, which are taking the guesswork out of processing.

Another is our broad understanding of society’s impact on the environment, which is taking the guesswork out of sustainability assessments. Finally, great leaps have been made in models of consumer understanding which can underpin consumer insight, taking the guesswork out of pack design.

There is a growing band of operations like Faraday that bridge the divide, and a growing band of new academics who are as business-like as businesses themselves. So next time you are struggling with a problem, why not consult an academic expert? At the very least you will be able to make a more informed decision – and you may find that elusive bit of innovation.

Walter Lewis is managing director of packaging thinktank Faraday Packaging Partnership.

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