Impact of Video Conferencing on IAPRI

Remote working due to the coronavirus has changed how almost all of us carry out our day-to-day work responsibilities. Video conferencing provides us with convenience and efficiency, and offers communicative technologies that enable us to exchange information at anytime and anywhere. How that landscape will continue to change is still unknown.  But those of us in packaging research, education and testing will have to get back into the workplace, at some point. We will not be able to change completely to a work-at-home routine.

However, Zoom meetings are here to stay. They have proven themselves to work for collaboration by getting remote locations together very effectively. It looks like ‘Zoom meeting’ is going to be like Kleenex, a brand name used as a generic concept – in this case, web-based video conferencing.

To take advantage of this new way we have all learned to operate, the IAPRI Board of Directors intends to investigate how video conferencing can be deployed as collaboration software to facilitate the aims of IAPRI. Just to remind ourselves, those aims are:

• To establish and advance professional and personal relations between representatives of packaging research and/or education institutions in the world;
• To share information and to obtain peer-review with respect to methodology, analysis, and potential outcomes at early stages of research projects;
• To exchange projected research interests which are being planned by institutions;
• To exchange experience with respect to instrumentation, measurement, and analysis techniques, especially as they relate to the development of new standards and test methods;
• To give advice on the equipment and apparatus which may be employed by member institutions for specific research, testing or education in packaging;
• To avoid duplication of work by means of the above exchange of information between institutions during IAPRI Working Groups and conferences; 
• To promote packaging science and technology to important target groups, including   international organizations, government bodies and foundations;
• To contribute to the academic recognition of education programs on packaging.

These aims are supported and enabled by:

• The publication of a newsletter, Working Group information and a calendar of events on the IAPRI website;
• The arrangement of IAPRI conferences, symposia, lectures, and other educational activities;
• The development of interaction with publishers to facilitate the recognition and publishing of scientific and scholarly work.

We firmly believe that the productivity of IAPRI volunteers, the Board of Directors, the Secretary General, the Working Groups, and the hosts of IAPRI World and Member Conferences will be positively impacted with this new tool.

However, all of us who are active in IAPRI know that we never want to lose the in-person face-to-face networking that IAPRI conferences provide. It brings our colleagues and friends from around the world together each year. ‘Zoom meetings’ will simply increase the effectiveness of our networking between those valued events.