“Nothing is as constant as change“ Exclusive interview with Dr. Matthias Wuensch from P&G – the newest member of the ADF Innovation Awards jury

Tell us a bit about yourself

I am 54 years old, married and love my family, doing activities like hiking, swimming and like to explore new towns and travel targets. I started in the cosmetic industry 22 years ago, first on product side and later became a packaging enthusiast. I am a technologist passionate working on sustainability and identifying emerging materials and technologies.

Why did you decide to join the Paris Packaging Week jury?

I am respectful seeing innovations coming to life after hard and challenging work. It is a pleasure and an honour for me to value innovations and the innovators behind.

What are you most excited about the event in January 2024?

Seeing the long list of exhibitors is exciting and I am looking forward meeting people and seeing latest technology developments.

What trends do you think will be highlighted in the aerosol industry in the next 12 months?

I see three main fields: sustainability, product presentation and consumer interaction.

The profile of your customers is constantly changing. How do you think the customer profile will evolve over time? And how important is it to assess your current client?

The quote “nothing is as constant as change” shows that we are living in constant changes. Consumer behaviour alters constantly and sometimes even significantly. It is very important to stay close to our consumers, speaking their language, translating and anticipate their needs into new products and services.

What do you see as the key challenges for your sector?

Several other “changes” happening at the same time (economy, regulations, supply chain stability and many more). Price increase due to inflation and materials availability is challenging.

What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?

I am looking to European Green Deal with the finalization of the Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation in 2024 with all implications to our packaging world. And I eager to watch the European Soccer Championship in Germany.

To you, what’s the ‘ideal’ pack of the future?

The best pack is the one, which can be obsoleted. However, this is not possible for all products, so packaging should be designed for reuse and material circularity while matching with consumer needs.

What’s been the impact of sustainability on NPD and packaging design?

Our company sustainability goals are clearly defined and in responsibility of every employee. With this, sustainability is part of every product and packaging development from the very beginning to the very end.