Building circular packaging through advanced R&D
Innovation Hub
Deep R&D.
Proven performance. Circular by design.
The Walki Innovation Hub brings together advanced research, deep material expertise and close customer co-creation to develop packaging solutions designed for a circular future. Guided by strategic innovation priorities, our R&D teams focus on translating complex sustainability challenges into practical, scalable solutions that meet real application needs.
Through rigorous material engineering, pilot-scale development and comprehensive testing, we validate performance, recyclability and regulatory readiness from the earliest stages. This structured approach reduces development risk, accelerates time to market and ensures packaging solutions that perform today while remaining resilient to future regulatory and market demands.
Innovation Hub is about innovating new solutions for sustainability. We need to move from a linear way of thinking to a circular one, and on this journey, we want to work together with our customers to contribute to a better future.
Annika Sundell
Executive Vice President, Consumer Packaging and Innovation & Sustainability
Walki R&D Community
A global engine for circular innovation
The Walki R&D Community is the foundation of our innovation capability. It connects multidisciplinary experts, customers and partners through a shared ambition: to design packaging solutions that combine performance, circularity and long-term value.
Guided by clearly defined strategic innovation areas, we focus our R&D on solving real customer challenges while anticipating future material, regulatory and market requirements. Customer involvement is embedded in our process, ensuring that innovation is always relevant, applicable and scalable.
At the centre of this ecosystem is our Technical Competence Centre, where deep material knowledge meets practical execution. Here, ideas are rapidly transformed into validated prototypes through structured development and robust testing.
Technical Competence Centre capabilities
- Laboratory testing across fibre, board, plastics, compostable and other engineered materials
- Barrier and functional performance evaluation
- Recyclability and fibre recovery testing
- Pilot extrusion lamination and flexo printing
- Packing and runnability validation
By combining laboratory insight with pilot-scale production and real-use simulation, we reduce development risk and support confident decision-making at every stage.
Globally connected, locally relevant
Our R&D teams operate close to customers across key regions. Advanced digital collaboration tools connect our experts into a single innovation network, enabling fast knowledge sharing, consistency and scale, regardless of location.
An open and collaborative ecosystem
We work closely with suppliers, universities, research institutes and start-ups. This extended ecosystem strengthens our innovation pipeline and enables early access to new materials, technologies and circular solutions.
R&D fire-retardant testing to validate safety and performance in engineered materials.
Walki Circle – DESIGNED PRO YOU
An integrated approach to circular packaging development
Walki Circle is our structured, end-to-end framework for packaging development. It integrates R&D, testing, sustainability intelligence and regulatory expertise into one coordinated partnership model.
Every project is intentionally shaped around our customers’ product requirements, production processes and circularity objectives, ensuring that sustainability is designed in from the start, not added later.
Walki Circle capabilities
R&D Capability
From material design and prototyping to barrier development and pilot-line validation.
Recyclability Studies
PPWR readiness, fibre-based and film recyclability assessment
Sustainability Intelligence
CO₂ footprint calculations, EPR fee estimation, circularity assessment
Regulatory and
Market Guidance
PPWR compliance, market trends, sustainability strategies
Testing and Validation
Runnability, sealing, shelf-life and performance testing
Customer Co-Creation
Joint development, application optimisation and technical support
Walki Packaging Development Journey
From Technical Insight to Market Success
The Walki Packaging Development Journey provides a clear, structured approach for turning packaging concepts into commercially viable solutions. Starting with strategic consulting, we define technical targets, application requirements and circular performance criteria. Development then progresses through pilot testing and laboratory validation to refine material structures, functionality and consistency. Recyclability testing verifies alignment with real collection and recycling systems, while packing trials replicate industrial conditions to optimise runnability and sealing performance.
By validating each stage before moving forward, we help customers minimise risk, shorten development cycles and bring robust, regulation-ready packaging solutions to market with confidence.
Consulting
Walki Circle gives you access to expert guidance across design, technology and sustainability.
Our teams work closely with you to tailor solutions to your requirements while assessing CO₂ impact, EPR fees and overall circularity.
Everything is shaped around your brand goals – Designed PRO YOU.
Pilot Test
With Walki Circle, development moves faster.
Our extrusion lamination and flexo printing pilot lines allow us to create heat-sealable, barrier-optimised and recyclable structures, producing sample rolls for immediate evaluation.
Accelerated learning through real production conditions. – Designed PRO YOU.
Laboratory Test
Our labs validate every critical property to ensure your material performs as intended.
From barrier performance to seal integrity, our specialists and technicians verify that each prototype meets technical and circularity expectations.
Confidence built through data – Designed PRO YOU.
Recyclability Test
Walki Circle accelerates PPWR-ready innovation.
Our in-house recyclability lab tests reject rates, fibre recovery and material behaviour to ensure your packaging can be collected, sorted and recycled into quality material.
A clear pathway to design-for-recycling success – Designed PRO YOU.
Packing Test
We test your samples on a vertical pillow-pouch machine to simulate real production conditions.
This allows us to optimise seal settings, sealing time and runnability before customer trials, reducing risk and improving speed to market.
Reduced risk, faster market readiness. – Designed PRO YOU.
Walki Circle is the all-in-one R&D, testing and sustainability service designed to accelerate your transition to circular packaging.
Regulation-Ready by Design
R&D Aligned with PPWR and Future Legislation
Innovation without regulatory alignment is a risk. At Walki Innovation Hub, regulatory readiness is built into every development step.
Our R&D teams actively monitor PPWR requirements and upcoming European packaging legislation. This insight guides material selection, structure design and recyclability validation ensuring solutions are not only compliant today but resilient tomorrow.
By combining regulatory intelligence with practical testing, we help customers move forward with confidence, reducing uncertainty and future redesign.
Recyclability validated through R&D
In-house recyclability testing to support PPWR-ready
To support PPWR compliance and future European packaging legislation, Walki has established an in-house recyclability laboratory for fibre-based packaging. Integrated into our R&D process, this facility enables early validation of design-for-recycling performance under real recycling conditions. PPWR requires packaging to be easily collected, sorted and recycled into high-quality materials, making precise material optimisation essential. Even small changes in coating levels can significantly affect recyclability. By testing reject rates and fibre recovery at an early stage, using industry-recognised methodologies such as the CEPI protocol developed within the 4evergreen alliance, we reduce development risk, accelerate innovation and deliver packaging solutions that combine functional performance with proven circularity.
