Discovering the next generation of packaging innovators

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Introduction

The packaging industry is under pressure to deliver sustainable solutions – but its future depends just as much on attracting, training, and retaining the next generation of packaging technologists. This report explores the barriers young professionals face when entering the field, and how the industry can better support them to build a resilient, future-ready workforce.

Key takeaways

• Awareness gap: Many students and early-career professionals don’t realize packaging is a distinct career path, and few universities offer dedicated degrees. This leaves talent pipelines underdeveloped compared to other engineering and design fields.
• Skills mismatch: Graduates often lack the full toolkit employers need, particularly in sustainability, life cycle assessment, and navigating complex regulatory landscapes. Industry–academic partnerships are helping bridge this gap.
• Evolving challenges: Tomorrow’s technologists must master trade-offs between recyclability, carbon footprint, lightweighting, and product protection—while adapting to fast-changing global regulations.
• In-house expertise rising: More brands are investing in dedicated packaging teams, recognizing packaging as a driver of brand identity, sustainability, and competitive advantage.
• Support systems matter: Mentoring, internships, scholarships, and stronger diversity and inclusion initiatives are crucial for attracting and retaining a broader talent pool.

Conclusion

The packaging sector faces a dual challenge: driving rapid sustainability innovation while cultivating the workforce to deliver it. Without clearer pathways, stronger educational support, and active mentorship, the skills gap will widen as experienced professionals retire. By investing in young talent today, the industry not only strengthens its pipeline but also ensures it has the creativity, diversity, and expertise needed to thrive in a more sustainable future.

We hear – and write – a lot about the sustainability challenges faced by the packaging industry as viewed from the perspective of those who have been working in this sector for many years. But we hear less about the importance of fostering the next generation of packaging technologists who will be facing these challenges in the years to come.

The prospects are various: Packaging technologists bring together the disciplines of design, materials science, sustainability, and engineering, contributing toward product protection, branding, cost control, and environmental compliance. Career paths can lead to roles in product design, packaging strategy, marketing, procurement, or project management. Some move into consultancy or brand-side leadership as they gain more experience.

Yet up until relatively recently, the educational opportunities focused specifically on this field have been few and far between. Many university systems were not offering dedicated packaging degrees meaning new recruits might start from mechanical or materials engineering backgrounds and transfer in.

We’re encouraged therefore to see an increasing number of dedicated programmes, whether at university level or industry led, offering the kind of training that young people will need to compete in this field. To give just a small number of examples:

• In Europe, Hochschule München offers a degree in packaging technology; Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT) offers courses in packaging technology, design and management; FH Campus Wien in Austria and Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, both offer dedicated packaging technology qualifications.
• Several US universities offer packaging technology courses and degree programs, including Rochester Institute of Technology, Clemson University, Indiana State University and Michigan State University.
• In Asia, the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) offers a range of opportunities, while events like Sustainability in Packaging Asia and ProPak Asia provide focused learning and networking opportunities

‘A vital discipline’

Even so, says Julie Rice Suggs, Academic Director of the US-based Packaging School, the importance of this as an academic subject is still not as widely recognized as it should be.

“Packaging science is such a vital discipline that touches nearly every aspect of the value chain, yet I do really feel it flies under the radar at times. Many people, even those working in related fields, aren’t fully aware of the depth and complexity and innovation involved in packaging. I think there can be a misconception on what packaging really does and how it helps so many people.”

The Packaging School is one of the many organizations actively looking to change this, through ‘bridging the gap between academia and industry by partnering with companies, subject matter experts and associations to create a shared learning management system’. Julie tells us, for example, that they have recently formed a collaboration with the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF).

“This does really fantastic work introducing college students and young professionals to the range of opportunities within packaging, so they’re helping to build awareness at the critical stage. This is definitely something I wish I could have experienced during my own college and high school years. It’s really important that we elevate packaging science as the critical, forward-thinking field that it really is.”

We also spoke with Karen Weinstein, former Packaging School student and founder of sustainable packaging startup Recykleap which she established, as she says, to ‘empower brands, institutions, and individuals to improve recycling outcomes through clear education and circular packaging design’.

“At my university, packaging science simply wasn’t recognized as a distinct discipline. I became an industrial engineer, and my career subsequently took me to specialize in packaging. Here in the US, I’m pleased to see dedicated majors and schools for packaging science. Packaging touches our lives multiple times a day, impacting everything from product safety to environmental sustainability. I believe it absolutely deserves dedicated study and scientific recognition.”

This being the case, says Julie, perhaps the biggest challenge for young people trying to break into this industry today – aside from a lack of funding or industry support – is “really, simply awareness. So many students and early career professionals don’t know that packaging is such a defined, specialized career path. It’s rarely highlighted in traditional emerging design or even business programs.

“I think the next hurdle is a lack of clear entry points. Unlike more ‘mainstream’ fields like marketing or engineering, there isn’t always a well-defined recruiting pipeline for packaging roles. And then, of course, there is the issue of credential gaps: i.e. students from design industrial engineering or environmental science backgrounds may not have the full toolkit that employers are looking for to get into packaging roles. That is really why at the Packaging School we’re working with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and ICPF to bridge this gap.”

‘There’s never been a better time’

Aside from the practical hurdles for young people starting out, there are also of course wider issues facing the industry as a whole that they will need to grapple with. We asked Julie how she would sum these challenges up to somebody entering this field.

“As we know, the packaging industry is a rapidly evolving one so packaging science students need to prepare not only to innovate but also to navigate really complex and shifting landscapes.

“I think the biggest thing they will need to be aware of is the need to look beyond recyclability and consider the whole life cycle impact of the pack. So this includes the carbon footprint from material extraction through production, water use, energy intensity, and transportation to end of life.

“Another really important and complex lesson to learn is navigating trade-offs between lightweighting, recyclability and product protection and really understanding how to apply tools like life cycle assessments as these are now a critical part of sustainable packaging design and will continue to be. It’s also important to understand there isn’t a ‘right’ material for every case so new packaging professionals will have to be aware of new polymers and biopolymers, emerging technologies and the benefits and drawbacks of all of these.”

Alongside all this, of course, the regulatory landscape is becoming increasingly complex on a global scale and packaging has to fall in line with this.

“New graduates often experience a reality check when entering the workforce,” adds Karen Weinstein. “There are established supply chains and equipment, and changing materials or processes isn’t always simple, it requires resources, stakeholder collaboration, and a solid business case. While new professionals may be eager to drive change, they need perseverance, communication skills, and the ability to sell their ideas internally first.”

But, she adds, it’s worth persevering: “There’s never been a better time to enter the packaging field. The relevance, support, and urgency to take action are all here. My advice is to be curious and open, learn to listen, understand not only the science but also the people and systems behind packaging. And finally, never stop learning and sharing your knowledge with others. You can truly create impact from day 1.”

‘Game-changing for brands’

Indeed, an increasing number of brands are recognizing the benefits of having their own dedicated packaging team in-house as opposed to outsourcing.

“Packaging obviously isn’t just a box,” says Julie, “it’s brand identity; it’s consumer experience; sustainability; regulatory compliance – especially now with so many extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes coming into play. Having a dedicated packaging manager, or even bringing design and development capabilities in-house, can be game-changing for brands that are serious about growth, innovation and overall responsible operations.”

And yes, she says, this can be capital- and resource-intensive to establish, at least in the beginning – but in Karen Weinstein’s experience as a consultant it pays off long-term: “Packaging is a critical part of any product, it’s the first interaction with the customer, it informs and protects, and it must perform a variety of functions. Brands with dedicated packaging teams make more informed decisions, better understand value and impact, and are more competitive in terms of cost and efficiency. They can also better integrate packaging with equipment and supply chain needs.

“I do see more large organizations bringing packaging expertise in-house, which can be a significant competitive advantage. The only potential drawback is the risk of becoming too comfortable and not reaching out to academia, startups or experts for the latest developments, regulations, and innovations.”

‘A win-win for everyone’

Many point to the still-significant skills gap facing the value chain. If left unaddressed, this may become a problem as the older guard move on to retirement. This gap is partly down to increased automation, evolving regulations and so on, coupled with a still-relatively low amount of specialist undergraduate programs compared to other key sectors.

From the point of view of the established industry, it’s crucial that they play their part in enabling young people entering the field to navigate all these challenges. What, then, can those already well entrenched in the industry, wherever they sit in the value chain, do to support the next generation of talent in this field?

Seasoned professionals can really help make a difference by mentoring and sharing knowledge with students and early career professionals – whether that’s formally or through specific organizations.

“Another way for the established value chain to help is, of course, by supporting education through scholarships, sponsorships and internships,” says Julie. “Financial barriers are often a huge issue, especially today. You can also encourage your organization to support initiatives like ICPF in the Packaging School as I was talking about before. Clemson University, for one, does a great job with internship programmes; we’ve probably had over 30 interns to date from Clemson and various schools to help us with our programmes.”

Another important factor we have not yet discussed is also, of course, the importance of diversity inclusion. It’s no secret that for many years older, white men were disproportionately represented in the packaging industry, to say the least. In recent years we have seen increased momentum behind equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) when it comes to hiring across the sector.

Again, apprenticeship programs are playing a big role here, bringing in younger, more diverse talent – whether that is in terms of gender, culture or ability levels. Just as packaging must be designed to be more inclusive, the people who are hired to develop and manage these packaging streams must reflect the full spectrum of society.

“I really do think supporting diverse young talent is a win-win for everyone,” adds Julie. “It enables us to have a stronger talent pipeline to fill those critical roles as experienced professionals retire. Overall, this offers a more resilient, future-ready industry that is able to meet the new challenges ahead.”

Karen Weinstein – herself, of course, now a successful entrepreneur in this field – also stresses the importance of one-on-one connections: “I’ve always been a strong advocate for mentoring and cross-team collaboration. Early in my career, great mentors pushed me to take on challenges I didn’t think I was ready for, which helped me grow and believe in my potential.

“While it’s easier than ever to access knowledge, building meaningful, face-to-face relationships can be more challenging. Supporting the next generation benefits everyone by driving innovation and ensuring the continued evolution of our field.”

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