IAPRI Working Group:
IAPRI Research Networking Working Group

Mission statement

To increase "research networking" activities among the IAPRI members and to be a transversal working group inside IAPRI's Working Group Structure.

Chair

Javier Zabaleta Merí, Managing Director at ITENE—Packaging, Transport and Logistics Research Center

Co-chair

Carmen Sánchez Reig, Vice Director at ITENE—Packaging, Transport and Logistics Research Center

Actions and progress

IAPRI Symposium (May 2009)

• Update on WG activities
• Brief Summary of results carried out by the WG: Packaging Technology Knowledge Map inside IAPRI and Future of Packaging Technology (medium / long term)—member's vision (preliminary results).
• NETWORKING BROHERAGE EVENT organized on Monday May 18th after the formal sessions.

Dynamization of research collaboration among IAPRI Members. WEB SITE.

• Active Banner IAPRIs Web Site (December 2008)
• Secretariat IAPRI contact all IAPRI members. IAPRI research working group-calling all members. (January 2009)
• Secretariat WG Web promotion among members (mailing, newsletter,..) (January 2009)

Next steps (July—December 2009):

• Cooperation profile introduction by each IAPRI member (through website)
• Promote the use of the site for offers and demands for cooperation
• Valuate Web Structure. Consider new functionalities

Strategic Research Lines Definition in Packaging Technology (medium / long term and elaboration a Packaging Technology Knowledge Map inside IAPRI

• Capacities, Cooperation Profile and Members Vision on line Questionnaire (March 2009)
• Preliminary Results Presentations (Greenville, May 2009)

Next steps (July—December 2009):

• Complete the Packaging Technology Map (totality of questionnaires)
• Elaborate the final report

Online

http://www.itenewebs.com/IAPRIweb/

More information

During the 16th IAPRI World Conference on Packaging held in Bangkok, it was approved by the IAPRI board, that ITENE, Packaging, Transport and Logistics Research Institute was responsible of the coordination of the IAPRI Research Networking Working Group. This group aims at being configured as a transverse working group across the existing IAPRI's Working Group Structure fostering "research networking" activities among the IAPRI members.

From the Conference in Bangkok the group is working in order to achieve the following objectives:

• 1. Dynamization of the Research Networking Working Group web site, as a knowledge exchange tool (www.itenewebs.com/iapriweb)
• 2. Packaging Technology Knowledge Map inside IAPRI and Strategic Research Lines Definition in Packaging Technology (medium / long term), through the elaboration of a questionnaire (http://www.itenesurveys.com/iapri_members/). It will allow the detection of knowledge weakness and strength inside IAPRI Network, the organization of special oriented training programmes or stays for young and semi-senior researchers and the definition of potential knowledge transfer flows. The information related to the Strategic Research Lines Definition in Packaging Technology will be included in a Strategic Research Agenda that will be used to provide information to Public Authorities—Governments at different countries—continents, in order to have influence on the financing research work programmes, to develop and reinforce collaboration strategies among IAPRI members from different countries and to optimise IAPRI´s members development as a global collaborative platform or network.
• 3. Management. Create "core group" within the WG, and approve the rules of management (communication, work methodology, etc.).
• 4. Promotion the IAPRI's Research Networking Activity. Define special oriented training programmes for researchers and stays for young and semi-senior researchers
• 5. IAPRI Communication tools development. Development of internal strategies and methodologies for cooperation, knowledge exchange tools, report on benchmark of current tools and evaluation the feasibility of implementation of tools detected.