Across Europe, new sustainability-driven regulations are being developed that could reshape how packaging is designed, validated, and produced. While these requirements are still evolving, their impact on the global medical supply chain is already being examined and discussed – with forward-thinking manufacturers asking the essential question: how do we prepare now?
Though packaging change doesn’t happen overnight in highly regulated industries like medical devices, validation cycles, material testing, equipment capabilities, and sterilization processes all require careful planning and verification. Waiting until regulations are finalized can leave companies scrambling and spending to adapt under tight timelines.
This session explores what these emerging packaging regulations could mean for medical device manufacturers and packaging professionals in the United States and in the global supply chain. Rather than focusing on the legal details of proposed rules, the conversation will highlight practical considerations for evaluating current packaging operations, preparing for potential changes, and addressing regional sustainability challenges brought on by these emerging global packaging shifts.
Join Harpak-ULMA’s Medical Packaging Segment Manager, Nick Kirichkow, as he discusses the industry conversations happening today—from reducing excess packaging and headspace to evaluating new materials, automation capabilities, and packaging line flexibility.
Attendees will gain insight into how global regulatory trends may influence packaging design, supply chain strategies, and operational efficiency in the years ahead – with the goal not being to predict the future, but to help producers prepare for it and optimize operations.
Learning Objectives / Key Takeaways
- Understand emerging global packaging trends and how sustainability regulations being discussed in Europe may influence the medical device supply chain worldwide
- Identify potential operational impacts these changes could have on packaging design, materials, validation processes, and automation
- Learn proactive strategies medical manufacturers can use today—such as packaging right-sizing, equipment flexibility, and internal impact analysis—to prepare their operations for future regulatory shifts
- Explore how packaging equipment capabilities and automation can support right-sized packaging, improved efficiency, and long-term regulatory readiness
- Recognize the importance of cross-functional collaboration between packaging engineers, material suppliers, and equipment partners when evaluating potential regulatory impacts.