This year’s theme 'One Europe: Embrace Multiple Realities' underlined our organisation’s position in Europe and proved to be spot on seen the current challenging issues Europe has to deal with. 

ECMA represents all of Europe and is very well on course regarding the Roadmap that was established five years ago. Our organisation has grown in memberships (both converter and supplier) ever since the start of the new ECMA in July 2012 and is tackling all relevant industry issues with a European dimension. When travelling through Europe we cross many frontiers, we deal with people with different languages, history and cultural background, religions and economical variations. But it is also one united Europe we live in.

This year we have organized for the first time our Annual Congress in Romania and we are very happy with the warm and efficient support received from local organisation APRA. Few other countries could serve as a better location for this year`s Congress theme than Romania with its eventful and changing history in the south-eastern corner of Europe. We have assessed in Bucharest the differences in “East and West”, the challenging “Human Realities”, European and national “Regulations”, “Technology & People” and “Economical Aspects”.

We also zoomed in on the Euro crisis, the looming Grexit and Brexit, the enormous influx of refugees and migrants and equitable distribution over the 28 EU Member States which are all very difficult, and there are no simple ”plug and play” solutions to be expected. However the multiple realities and the great diversity are also the essence and the strengths of Europe: how can we, how can our industry make the most out of the European challenges and opportunities?

The Congress programme zoomed in on the environmental sustainability of our products and processes, taking care of our social responsibility towards people and society and encouraging innovation in products and productivity. We have explored the horizon with insights on ethics and religion, cultural diversity, digital Darwinism, economics, genetics and much more; the working programme was varied, relevant and intense. The different elements of the congress theme were covered by excellent speakers who offered new insights and inspiration to the congress participants. The presentations will be available to the participants via a special log in section of the ECMA website. 

Keynote speaker Magnus Lindkvist closed the congress with his speech on how we should look for vertical change and possibilities, and embrace the future. Lindkvist said people will either create something completely new (which he described as vertical change) or look to compete with rivals by taking an existing idea and aiming to spread it to a wider audience (horizontal change). Companies and people choose to compete or create. You can’t do both. Anyone can compete. You might not win, but you can compete. You just have to see what your competitor is doing and try to do it better or cheaper. The future depends on creating. “Creativity is hard. It takes courage. Getting people to see your creativity and go along with it takes a long time. For companies or societies it can take a generation,” he said.

Another highlight of the event was the celebration of winners in the Pro Carton ECMA Carton Award competition. During the Gala Dinner on Thursday 10 September the winners were presented in the Throne Room of the Royal Palace which provided a very elegant backdrop for the festivities. Please click here more information on the winners.

We are already looking forward to – and working on - next year’s ECMA Congress that will take place in Antibes/Juan-les-Pins in the South of France! 

Please mark your calendars for 14-17 September 2016 and a soon as more information on the programme is available you will find it on this website.