Interview with Martina Font, Corporate Director of Font Packaging Group.
Font Packaging Group is a company dedicated to the manufacturing of corrugated cardboard, cardboard boxes, and packaging since 1954, and they have established themselves as experts in state-of-the-art packaging through their commitment to innovation, implementing the latest advances and packaging trends. They have five production plants employing over 200 professionals serving 6,000 customers.
“Innovation is one of the fundamental pillars of our company. We firmly believe that we cannot remain competitive unless the industrial fabric of the country innovates collectively.” – Martina Font, Corporate Director of Font Packaging Group
Martina Font is the Corporate Director of Font Packaging Group, CEO of Kartox, President of the Packaging Cluster, and Vice President 2nd of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. We spoke with her about collaborative innovation, the creation of FONTLAB, how to involve employees in innovation processes, and why they decided to be part of the INDPULS ecosystem.
What role does collaborative innovation play in your company?
Since its inception, Innovation has been part of the DNA of Font Packaging. We are firmly convinced that Innovation makes a difference in business, so we created FONTLAB to establish a leading R&D company in Packaging.
Within FONTLAB, collaborative innovation is crucial for us because it allows us to achieve challenges that we could never have accomplished on our own. For many years, we have been in contact with associations, universities, and research centers, and this provides us with diverse perspectives, which are vital if we want to create a company in which innovation is a significant growth driver.
What strategies and tools do you use to identify innovation opportunities and involve employees in the idea-generation process?
FONTLAB has both internal and external components.
Internally, we analyze products, processes, and the entire company’s structure to enhance our performance in all areas, fostering continuous innovation in all departments. This has allowed us to develop our technology, research new materials, and create utility models and patents. Ultimately, innovation must translate into products and services that the market values or it serves no purpose.
Externally, being part of the INDPULS association and other organizations allows us to advance in innovation.
What are the most common challenges you face when promoting collaborative innovation in the current business environment?
Currently, the most common challenges are sustainability and digitization. We aim to have an efficient and flexible production with a solid commitment to the environment. That’s why FONTLAB created FONTECOPACK, which is our commitment to driving positive environmental change, both within our company and for our customers.
How do you envision the future of the industrial ecosystem?
I do not doubt that in today’s world, the future is collaborative. The end involves innovating in all aspects of the company (products, processes, services) and collaborating with many entities to pool resources and develop synergies that benefit the entire industrial fabric.
Why did you decide to be part of an ecosystem like INDPULS?
As I mentioned earlier, Innovation is one of the fundamental pillars of our company. We firmly believe that we cannot remain competitive unless the industrial fabric of the country innovates collectively. That’s why the INDPULS association was a gift to our company, as it allows us to see the current realities of each company, how they approach challenges, and how they can collaborate and innovate together.
