The 29 e edition of Packaging Innovation Competition De Gouden Noot has been won by ACU-Drop ® II, a unique, patented form of packaging that causes a revolution in quality control in the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) market. The innovative two-chamber system keeps separate fractions that ultimately have to react with each other. If the analysis is to be performed, the user presses a button to combine the fractions. Just mix with the integrated "static stirrer" and the sample is ready for use, either from the built-in dropper bottle or by coupling a syringe. ACU-Drop ®II is a breakthrough in quality control with its ease of use, the superfluous pipetting and the counteracting of undesired matrix interactions - all in a single package.
Winning business combination Verhoeven Ontwerpburo and Eurotrol received the winner's trophy with the famous solid golden walnut during the Award Ceremony on Thursday evening 22 November 2018 in the A'DAM Tower Amsterdam. The Award Ceremony was presented by Francesca Vanthielen.
The Silver Note went to the Combo Excelsior ®, a reusable container with many new innovative features. The elements used (walls, bottom, lid) have a superior strength / volume ratio, the floating hinges, ergonomic side wall locks and a self-latching lid ensure simple and safe operation with minimal risk of damage to the product or to the user. And thanks to the modular design, all individual components can be easily replaced in the field, which further extends the life of the product, according to Silver winner Schoeller Allibert.
The Bronze Note was for Arcwise, a patented alternative to the production of corrugated board. The end result is a corrugated cardboard that is easy to bend, so that even "smooth" (non-kinked) round shapes can now be made from corrugated cardboard without problems. The Arcwise corrugated board can be perfectly combined with round shapes such as bottles, tubes and cans and to create beautiful round shapes in displays. Round shapes are significantly stronger than square shapes, the Arcwise corrugated board uses less material and the consumer appreciates round shapes more positively than right angles, according to the Bronze winning Brohl Wellpappe.
De Gouden Noot (first edition in 1958) is the world's most competitive packaging innovation competition. With De Gouden Noot, the NVC Netherlands Packaging Center stimulates biennial groundbreaking packaging innovations worldwide. The Golden Note owes its name to the unique trophy containing a solid golden walnut, symbol of a 'holistic' innovative packaging.
The first jury round of this 29 thedition, with all submitted packages physically present for assessment by the full jury, took place on 28 and 29 June 2018. At the end of these two days, the jury selected the ten Finalists on the basis of consensus. These were then published on the internet. In the second round, on October 17, 2018, each of these ten Finalists defended his / her entry in front of the full jury.
Jury chairman prof.dr.ir. Renee Wever about the entrants, the ten finalists and the final winner of the Gold: "It is incredibly inspiring to experience how much creativity and innovative power there is in all entries and of course especially in the ten finalists that we have after our first round of assessments - those two full days to finish - have chosen. Each submission had a surprising aspect, each with its own 'perspective' to solve a problem or seize an opportunity.
And then there is the spirit of innovation that we have all experienced. All ten finalists were questioned after their presentation to us in the second jury round, which took a full day (and where the winner's trophy with the solid golden walnut was within reach). Asked about their favorite word to characterize their 'hard work' with which they had realized innovation, the vast majority of them answered with the word 'Fun'!
Then about the great jury members, all active in the field of packaging but in background ranging from a PhD in quantum physics to marketing in e-commerce. Together we have succeeded in arriving at our final judgment in good atmosphere, on time and above all in consensus. I look forward to the next edition with enthusiasm! "
The winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze as well as the other seven Finalists of the 29 th edition De Gouden Noot can be seen at the Creative Lounge at the packaging fair ALL4PACK in Paris from 26-29 November 2018.
The end of this Award Ceremony was the start of the 30 th edition of De Gouden Noot. The ten finalists of this 30 th edition will be shown at the NVC booth at the interpack2020 in Düsseldorf, Germany (Noordin ENB / 03) and at the NVC website after the first jury round. The Award Ceremony of the 30 th edition De Gouden Noot is October 8, 2020, again in the A'DAM Tower Amsterdam. For all information, visit www.degoudennoot.nl .