Research innovation

The R&D department of the Sirap Group has its head office in Verolanuova (Brescia, Italy) and its activities aim at the study and development of technological innovations and new packaging solutions (containers in rigid plastic and foam) for use in the packaging of fresh food products. It identifies and develops new technical solutions for the thermo-acoustic insulation sector in the building industry (panels in XPS foam, under-floor panels, structural matches). R&D has a staff of 10 people with specific skills in analytical chemical areas, plastic materials technologies, food technologies and technical planning. In 2009 costs for R&D added up to slightly more than 1% of the Group’s turnover. Its work is based on multi-disciplinary aspects and concerns a number of experimental initiatives making use of a pilot extrusion department, an applicative packaging laboratory, modern systems for the creation of prototypes and a laboratory for the analysis of mechanical properties of plastic materials. In the last 5 years Sirap Group has recorded a total of 20 patents in Italy and Europe. Complementary to these initiatives, there is the support given to sales management, the management of intellectual property, quality assurance and Certification such as UNI EN ISO 9001:2008 and BRC-Iop (British Retail Certificate) for the food division and, for thermo-acoustic insulation, the Product Certificates: Acermi (Association pour la Certification des Materiaux Isolants), Fiw (ForschungInstitut fur Warmeschutz), OFI (Osterreichisches ForschungInstitut) and IIP (Italian Plastics Institute). Furthermore R&D makes use of the collaboration of prestigious Universities (University of Brescia - Department of Chemistry and Physics for material engineering; University of Palermo – Department of Chemical Engineering for Processes and Materials; University of Milan – Department of Science and Food and Microbiological Technology) in the field of food packaging technologies and manufactured products for thermo-acoustic insulation in the building industry (University of Toronto - Dept of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering).

Sirap-Group is aware of the importance of the concept of sustainability. The safeguarding and respect for the environment in which we live sees R&D involved in the study and development of eco-efficient packaging, promoting both the use of post-consumption polymers (R-PET) and the reduction in the use of plastic materials. In the field of products for thermo-acoustic insulation the commitment to sustainability translates into substitutions of expanders with inert gasses that are more compatible with the environment, and improving the insulation properties of their panels and the support offered to clients for the optimum use of the manufactured items.