Market specialists join forces for sustainability project

The I-Label project for the realization of sustainable labels for smart packaging ranked third in the general list of the tender “Hub Ricerca e Innovazione” (Research & Innovation Hub). It combines innovation and sustainability with cost efficiency, and it is powered by Ritrama, OMET, IIT – Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, ILTI, Ferrarini & Benelli and VDGLab.

The call was addressed to pioneering projects that could boost local economies, facilitating connections between private businesses and the academic world as well as technology transfer and the application of cutting-edge innovations. Among 78 proposals from a pool of top-level organizations, 33 projects were admitted to regional funding, for a total of 114,5m EUR.

The businesses involved in the initiative bring forward an innovative idea to substantially reduce the environmental impact of consumer goods, with tangible implications in terms of cost-efficiency, ethics and sustainability. The aim of the project is to evolve printing processes and develop smart labels capable of adapting to external simulations such as adjusting the expiry date of a product according to its actual state of conservation.

With the I-Label project, production processes can get more sustainable thanks to the reduction of energy consumption and to the possibility of employing eco-friendly inks and resins.

Each player is displaying all its distinctive expertise to guarantee the utmost efficiency and innovation at each design and implementation stage. Ritrama will take care of the development of new plastic substrates by researching innovative materials; Omet will produce dedicated lamination devices, while also investigating new printing techniques; ILTI will deal with the application of the labels at high speed; Ferrarini & Benelli will implement Corona and Plasma treatment systems to increase the surface tension of substrates; VDGLab will study Smart Curing systems; IIT will develop super-fast laser processes to be integrated in printing techniques and, together with Omet, will implement new printing techniques with integrated circuits.

All partners will participate in the study and realization of electronic labels with roll-to-roll printing, and in the production and application of the first prototypes of smart labels.