GEPPIA

1) What is the latest news for GEPPIA? 

Our cluster has stepped up its development, now claiming a share of just over 95% of the French packaging equipment manufacturers’ turnover. From primary packaging to the end of the assembly line, 3,800 people generate some €1 billion cumulative turnover! Not forgetting those who represent the food process sector, complementing our industrial

partners, and enable us to group more than 100 companies together, thus generating industrial purchasing and financing, and marketing and communication synergies.

We have now launched an international website to produce end client feedback and make our technological know-how better known all over the world, regardless of the size of our companies.For this purpose, we have created an  EMBALLAGE web page dedicated to our members to present their new products and services.
We are also gaining strength with new types of media relays such as the social networks: Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Viadeo, etc.
Our intranet enables us to disseminate more information and foster discussion between members. We are strongly represented at all the major trade exhibitions held in France and other countries, primarily Morocco for the time being.

2) How do you view the packaging industry in the medium term? What developments or changes do you forecast? 

We are relatively optimistic to date but still advocate caution because we do not have more than six months’ visibility ahead and election years are always atypical periods: consumer habits are changing, retail is developing differently – so we must look ahead and anticipate.

Our main priority is therefore innovation because it is THE prerequisite for our technologies to remain at the forefront (as regards environmentally friendly and eco-design criteria, in particular) in order to be hyper-responsive to our clients’ and prospective clients’ demands.

This is also true of the export markets, where we have so much market share to gain, but we will achieve this goal by offering comprehensive solutions.

3) What common theme will you adopt for EMBALLAGE 2012? Which new products and services/added value will be displayed to visitors on your stand?

It is still a little early to disclose this information because innovation is not decided but studied, acquired and tested; if there is one area where improvising is not on the agenda, it’s R&D, where the notion of deadline is conceptual. But there will be surprises, proof that French industry is very innovative.

All our members have a single aim: to be ready to exhibit their latest products, whose novelty revolves around automation, flexibility, optimisation and compactness – and obviously still provide the best value for money!

• Did you know? GEPPIA, French cluster for Food Processing and Packaging Machinery, is partner of EMBALLAGE
• To visit the GEPPIA website, click-here
• To read this interview in French click on the flag