Sidel has launched an innovative programme: the Nextgen Innovation Lab. This year, 19 young engineers from ten different countries came together in Octeville-sur-Mer, France, to spend three weeks working with Sidel experts on real-world challenges in packaging, sustainability, and automation.
The Nextgen Innovation Lab is designed to strengthen the connection between academic education and industrial practice. The participants, all university students, worked on projects focusing on sustainable packaging solutions, digital technologies, industrial AI, robotics, and human-machine collaboration.
Creativity and technical expertise in focus
During the three-week programme, participants developed prototypes and business concepts in teams, which they presented to a jury of Sidel executives and technical experts at the end of the programme. The best performances were recognised in a closing ceremony across five categories, including the best overall innovation and the most customer-centric solution. Ko Hoepman, Executive Vice President of Sidel, emphasised the importance of the diverse perspectives the programme brings together, praising participants' creativity and technical expertise. Positive impression among participants
The participants were impressed by the diversity and level of innovation in the packaging industry. A young engineer expressed his surprise at the innovative strength behind everyday products and praised Sidel's culture of open knowledge sharing. Another participant highlighted the opportunity to work on real industrial challenges and have direct access to experts.
Nurturing young talent
The Nextgen Innovation Lab is part of Sidel's commitment to fostering future engineering talent and strengthening relationships with leading universities in Europe. The programme aims to encourage fresh thinking and contribute to the development of sustainable packaging solutions.
Source: Sidel
