SKANEM AS

Their core work

Skanem AS is a large Norwegian industrial manufacturer of self-adhesive labels and flexible packaging, headquartered in Stavanger and operating production facilities across Europe. In EU research projects, they function as an industrial end-user and pilot line partner — bringing real commercial manufacturing infrastructure to consortia that need to validate new materials and technologies against production-scale requirements. Their H2020 involvement spans two complementary tracks: printed electronics and smart labelling integrated into paper substrates, and sustainable plant-based nanomaterials for next-generation eco-designed packaging. For any consortium working on advanced label or packaging materials, Skanem provides the industrial bridge between laboratory results and market-ready products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 engagement (INNPAPER, 2018–2021), Skanem's focus was firmly on the electronics-meets-paper interface: TOLAE flexible electronics, printed biosensors, nano-cellulose substrates, and smart labelling with point-of-care diagnostics potential. By their second project (INN-PRESSME, 2021–2025), the framing had shifted almost entirely toward sustainability: plant-based bio-sources, eco-design, recycling, reuse, and circular processing — with digitalisation and pilot lines as enabling tools rather than the core subject. This is a real industry-level shift: from "making labels smarter" to "making packaging greener," reflecting the broader packaging sector's pivot toward sustainability mandates and bio-economy goals.

Skanem is moving toward sustainable materials and circular packaging design, making them a relevant industrial partner for any consortium working on bio-based materials, packaging eco-design, or industrial-scale sustainability transitions in consumer and transport sectors.

How they like to work

Skanem consistently joins as a non-coordinating partner — in INNPAPER as a funded participant, and in INN-PRESSME as a third party without direct EC funding, likely contributing pilot line access or in-kind manufacturing expertise. This pattern is typical of large industrial companies that add value through real production infrastructure rather than project management. Their 51 consortium partners from 11 countries in just two projects shows they join large, well-networked consortia — they are not a narrow specialist but a broadly connected industrial anchor point.

Across two projects, Skanem has engaged with 51 unique consortium partners spanning 11 countries — an unusually wide network for such limited project participation, indicating they join large, multi-partner consortia with strong European geographic spread. No geographic clustering is visible in the data, suggesting their partnerships are driven by research topic rather than regional proximity.

What sets them apart

Skanem is one of very few large-scale European packaging manufacturers with a direct footprint in H2020 nanomaterials and printed electronics research — most companies at this scale commission research rather than joining consortia. Their value to consortium builders is access to real industrial production lines for testing and validation, and an end-user perspective on what new materials actually need to do to survive commercial manufacturing. Researchers in bio-based packaging, printed sensors, or nano-enabled materials who want industrial validation rather than lab confirmation should consider Skanem a high-value industrial anchor partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INNPAPER
  Skanem's highest-funded H2020 project (EUR 268,740 EC contribution) and an unusual convergence of nano-cellulose paper science with TOLAE printed electronics and biosensors — placing a packaging manufacturer inside a frontier electronics research consortium.
• INN-PRESSME
  A longer-horizon project (2021–2025) in which Skanem participates as third party, reflecting growing industry engagement in sustainable plant-based nanomaterials for packaging — with pilot line and eco-design keywords that match their industrial manufacturing role.