SÜDPACK is once again right at the top of WirtschaftsWoche’s annual innova-tion ranking in 2023. With an innovation score of 384.0, the manufacturer of high-performance films and packaging concepts took ninth place. And just weeks beforehand, the renowned business magazine once again placed SÜD-PACK among the top 10 of the most sustainable SMEs in Germany.
“Despite the widespread sense of crisis, the most innovative SMEs in Germany are showing how technical innovations are turned into businesses and how markets can be conquered from a niche,” said the Munich-based consulting firm Munich Strategy, which was commissioned once again by Wirtschafts-Woche to rate the products, services and developmental strength of 4,000 companies.
There’s a good reason SÜDPACK took top spots in both rankings. The globally active family business with its headquarters in Ochsenhausen in Swabia focus-es systematically on two core areas – innovation and sustainability. “In recent years, we have been able to set new standards in the market, in particular with our innovative, material-efficient and recyclable mono-structures, such as the PP and PE-based Pure-Line, and also with a sustainable packaging concept for the pharmaceutical industry,” emphasized Carolin Grimbacher, Managing Partner of the company group. Moreover, SÜDPACK is investing in both me-chanical and chemical recycling in order to close loops in the packaging industry and reduce the use of natural resources.
Innovations in 2023
The film manufacturer’s commitment to a circular economy also impressed the Munich-based consulting firm once again this year. For example, the company produces high-quality compounds within the framework of its own material management that contain recycled material from plastic waste and can be used, among other things, in injection-molded parts for a wide range of applications. For a customer project, for example, SÜDPACK produced granulates for injec-tion-molded housing components for cordless vacuum cleaners with a recycled content of more than 40%.
Last but not least, SÜDPACK invested in an LCA tool in 2023 that allows the company to take account of the environmental impact of packaging over its entire life cycle and in all of its facets and to optimally advise customers based on sound, fact-based analysis. “The impact categories that we identified as relevant for our films include not only fossil-based resource consumption, but also soil acidification, the formation of particulate matter, photochemical ozone formation as a risk to human health and freshwater ecotoxicity,” added Carolin Grimbacher.
WirtschaftsWoche’s analysis
In order to analyze the innovative strength of a total of 4,000 SMEs, the Munich consultancy firm first evaluated the annual reports and presentations of each company. The 400 best companies were then carefully reviewed based on in-terviews with CEOs, customers and competitors to determine what is known as their ‘innovation score.’ One third of this is based on sales and profit growth and two thirds on the innovative strength of the respective company. This in-cluded product developments that had been launched as well as the amount spent annually on research and development. The innovation classification of each SME on the market was also an important factor in the selection process.
“Innovation is the key to success and an important strategic tool. That is why we see the repeated top placement in the WirtschaftsWoche ranking this year as a call to action. We can only consolidate and extend our position as market leader if we think about the future today – ecologically, economically and so-cially,” summarized Carolin Grimbacher.
About SÜDPACK
SÜDPACK is a leading manufacturer of both conventional and particularly sus-tainable high-performance films and packaging materials for the food, non-food and medical goods industries. All of its solutions ensure maximum prod-uct protection as well as additional pioneering features with minimum material input.
The family business, which was founded by Alfred Remmele in 1964, is head-quartered in Ochsenhausen. The production sites in Germany, France, Poland, India, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the USA are equipped with cutting-edge plant technology and manufacture to the highest standards, including the capacity to operate under clean room conditions. The global sales and service network ensures a high degree of proximity to the customer and comprehen-sive application technology support in more than 70 countries.
With its state-of-the-art Development and Application Center at its headquar-ters in Ochsenhausen, the innovation-oriented company offers its customers an optimal platform for carrying out application tests and for developing indi-vidual and tailor-made solutions.
SÜDPACK is committed to sustainable development and fulfills its responsibility as an employer and towards society, the environment and its customers. For its particularly sustainable product developments and consistent commitment to a functioning circular economy in the plastics industry, SÜDPACK has re-ceived numerous awards. Further information is available at www.suedpack.com
