BillerudKorsnäs, Sweden, reports that it is taking a further step into the Internet of Packaging by investing in a minority holding in U.K. technology company Hanhaa. The company’s solution allows users to track not only the location but also the condition of their deliveries in real time and on a large scale, no matter the country or carrier. 

The investment is being made by BillerudKorsnäs Venture AB, which was formed last spring to develop new business for the Group by linking up with interesting innovation companies in the early stage. The objective is to gradually generate and develop new business. The aim is to work closely with companies and actively contribute to developing new solutions in the packaging value chain. This is a relatively small investment for BillerudKorsnäs in financial terms.

"Combining our own core-related skills with the skills of these startup companies will allow us to create fruitful collaborations and together identify entirely new solutions. We will also draw on our experience and knowledge of bringing products to market on an industrial scale. Together with Hanhaa, we’re continuing to build tomorrow’s Internet of Packaging. Expanding our offering of digital solutions will allow us to continue challenging conventional packaging for a sustainable future," said BillerudKorsnäs Venture Managing Director Anders Persson.

Hanhaa’s system, Parcelive, tracks deliveries along the entire logistics chain. Transmitter devices are placed in parcels and use GPS and GSM to track their position. Sensors measure and report in real time the condition of the goods, their location, and what they have been exposed to in terms of temperature, drops, and knocks. The system works regardless of country, scale, or carrier. The devices are managed using a return system. The recipient pushes a button to prompt the display of a return address and then posts the device back.

"BillerudKorsnäs’ wide-ranging skills and network within sustainable and efficient packaging solutions make them a perfect partner as we take our technology out into the logistics and packaging industry on a large scale," said Azhar Hussain, CEO of Hanhaa.

The solution is especially suited to logistics optimization, continuous cold chain management, high-value goods, and time-critical shipments, e.g., allowing maintenance engineers to avoid expensive production losses by tracking consignments and precisely planning trips to customers.

Hanhaa is BillerudKorsnäs Venture’s third investment. The previous two were: Denmark-based EcoXpac, which together with BillerudKorsnäs is developing a paper-based bottle with the long term aim to contain the pressure of carbonated drinks; and Norway-based Kezzler, a global leader in technology for assigning unique digital identities for individual packaging.