Stora Enso and Chalmers enter collaboration in intelligent pharmaceutical packaging
Stora Enso and Chalmers’ Encubator have reached a co-operation agreement under which Stora Enso will act as a partner to Encubator. The focus of the collaboration is an innovation project developing intelligent pharmaceutical packaging. The idea comes from Stora Enso, and Encubator will run the business development together with Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship.
“This gives us a new approach to innovations supporting our packaging business. Forming a dedicated team will create an environment that can enable successful market entry and create a growth company,” says Mats Nordlander, Executive Vice President, Stora Enso Renewable Packaging.
The innovation project will develop intelligent pharmaceutical packaging to address the problem of poor adherence to prescription instructions by patients, a problem which in Sweden alone causes costs of over SEK 20 billion annually. The package simplifies communication between patient and doctor by registering when pills are removed from the package. If the medication is missed, a reminder is sent wirelessly to, for example, a mobile phone. Information may also be shared with family members to increase support.
Encubator is a Chalmers incubator that exploits ideas by combining advanced entrepreneurship education with real business incubation. The ideas mainly come from national and international industry and academia. Over the past 15 years, Encubator and Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship have created more than 50 new companies.
“To be able to exploit innovations, it is important to take advantage of combined strengths. The collaboration with Stora Enso is an example of how innovations can develop through partnership between young entrepreneurs and established companies,” says Linnea Olsson, Business Developer at Encubator.
For further information, please contact:
Juha Maijala, Project Manager, Stora Enso, tel. + 358 50 530 8188
Tommy Borglund, VP Communications, Stora Enso Renewable Packaging, tel. +46 72 234 5609
Jan E. Liljeqvist, Senior Business Advisor, Encubator, tel. +46 31 772 20 05
Linnea Olsson, Business Developer, Encubator, tel. + 46 738 057820
www.storaenso.com
www.storaenso.com/investors
Stora Enso is the global rethinker of the paper, biomaterials, wood product and packaging industry. We always rethink the old and expand to the new to offer our customers innovative solutions based on renewable materials. Stora Enso employs some 30 000 people worldwide, and our sales in 2011 amounted to EUR 11.0 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Stockholm (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY) in the International OTCQX over-the-counter market.
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