As the name suggests, the aim is to bridge the gap between industry’s needs and the research capabilities of IAPRI member organizations and university departments. “The central idea is to create an opportunity to encourage collaboration,” says co-organizer of the session, Yves Wyser of Nestlé Research Center.
An audience of around 30 heard three five-minute presentations. Two of these were from academia, seeking industry partners to take their projects a step further. Dan Xu of Southwest University, Chongqing, China, talked about nanomaterial applications in food packaging, and Cristina Guzman of UDEM, Mexico, presented on the characterization of Mexican roads.
Frank Zeng of York Colour, Jinjian, China, reciprocated by outlining his company’s needs regarding cost-effective light barrier in beverage packaging.
Helping to coordinate the new event were Jun Wang of Jiangnan University, China, and Tamal Ghosh of Omya Singapore. The idea had been proposed in previous years, but has only now come to fruition.
“Attendees welcomed the initiative, which will be pursued at future IAPRI events,” says Wyser. Format and frequency are still being discussed, he adds. Suggestions can be addressed to the organizers via Secretary General Ed Church: sg@iapri.org