By Michael Richmond, PhD, PTIS LLC
Many business leaders think about today and the next quarter, perhaps looking two to three years into the future. What if they took some time to view 10 years ahead and start plotting where they want to be in 2032? This past year 15 companies along the packaging value chain—from raw material suppliers to packaging companies to brand owners to retailers— did just that by participating in the Future of Packaging 2032 with PTIS and Futurist, John Mahaffie. Included in the program is the “Packaging Thought Leader Survey 2032” covering insights from more than 150 thought leaders globally.
Three times throughout the program participating companies sent representatives to work in groups discussing macro issues involving circularity and develop road maps toward 2032. Teams met at Arizona State University; University of Georgia, which runs the New Materials Institute; and Washington D.C.
“We talk about explore, define, and shape,” Todd Bukowski, Principal at PTIS says. “Explore is the first meeting, define is getting a little deeper into the issues, and shaping is the road map. What actions can you take as a leader in this space and be ready for the future? What are the changes that are coming and how can you prepare for that?”
Companies that lack foresight will miss the shifting marketplace and then attempt to buy their way into a new system or business.
“Often, the missed opportunity is hidden because big, powerful, well-functioning companies buy their way in afterward. It is not all that economical to do that,” Mahaffie says. “I’ve been telling a lot of those kinds of stories and explaining what locks up thinking.”
Contact the PTIS team to get started on your path to foresight and the future of packaging now!