How do we develop a future-proof innovation system that helps RKW move from reactive to proactive renewal?

RKW is an international manufacturer of films and packaging solutions, active in sectors ranging from agriculture to medical applications. Within this broad market, innovation plays a key role. Yet for a long time, that innovation was driven primarily by internal insights and customer requests, leaving little room to explore new opportunities in a world where sustainability, circularity, and technological advancement are changing ever more rapidly. RKW wanted an innovation process that better aligned with developments in the outside world and provided direction for a future in which the role of plastic is fundamentally shifting.

The Challenge
Although sustainability in discussions often boils down to “less plastic”, the reality is far more nuanced. Plastic can, in fact, also play a crucial role in reducing waste: by extending the shelf life of food, preventing damage during transport, and enabling smarter design and technology that allow materials to be better sorted and reused. But what new functions can packaging fulfil precisely? What value can RKW create in sectors that are increasingly embracing circular thinking? And what innovation opportunities arise when you look beyond material reduction alone?

Within RKW, this broader question was not yet sufficiently embedded in the innovation system, which was strongly focused on improving existing products. As the world around them placed new demands on packaging, it became necessary to reframe the concept of ‘sustainability’ and to examine what role packaging — including plastic — will actually play in the future. The challenge, therefore, lies in developing an innovation structure that makes room for that broader perspective: one in which trends, new technologies, and shifting societal expectations carry as much weight as today’s optimisations.

The Insight
During the project, it quickly became clear that a renewed innovation system begins with a renewed perspective. By interviewing customers, supply chain partners, industry experts, and free thinkers (from outside their own sector), a far richer picture emerged of the needs and tensions at play in the market.

Through the Painstorming methodology, large and small friction points became visible that had previously flown under the radar — from challenges concerning recycling and sorting to untapped opportunities in shelf life and food safety.

What came as a surprise was how many potential innovation directions did not stem from existing product lines, but from insights that had not yet found a place within RKW. By connecting external trends to internal expertise, an innovation portfolio emerged that not only advances new solutions but also provides direction for strategic choices in the years ahead. The project made it clear that sustainability is not about less plastic, but about smarter plastic — and that RKW is precisely positioned to play an important role in that space.