Lund University, Tetra Pak sign 5-year partnership agreement

Lund University and Tetra Pak have signed a five-year strategic partnership agreement, expanding on their history of collaboration on packaging logistics, food technology and packaging materials. Lund University and Tetra Pak aim to create new industry–academia development opportunities to enrich ideas and create a platform of exchange between students and professionals.

The partnership will collectively address areas such as circular and bio-based economies. Industry–academic cooperation is critical for Tetra Pak to foster new solutions within the food value chain and optimise numerous industrial processes. By collaborating with Lund University, Tetra Pak has been able to advance the mixing of industrial emulsified products and the forming of new package shapes and formats. Both are also core members of Treesearch, a Swedish collaboration platform to develop new and sustainable materials from forest resources.

Torbjörn von Schantz, Vice-Chancellor of Lund University, believes that academia and industry need to work closely in the long term to solve complex societal challenges, such as sustainability.

“Tetra Pak is a key strategic partner and we have collaborated for many years. As we now deepen, broaden and formalise this cooperation, we see even greater opportunities to develop excellent research, knowledge and innovations together, while strengthening the region's attractiveness,” von Schantz said.

Laurence Mott, Executive Vice President, Development & Engineering and R&D at Tetra Pak, stated that close collaboration between industry and academia is an essential component of Tetra Pak’s innovation effort.

“The partnership with Lund University provides Tetra Pak access to cutting-edge academic competencies and will create new opportunities for staff, students and Tetra Pak employees alike,” Mott said.

Mott welcomed news of the agreement between Lund University and Tetra Pak, as the collaboration will help both tackle some of the fundamental challenges faced by the industry and ultimately better support Tetra Pak’s customers and consumers globally.

Image credit: Tetra Pak