• SmartLabels is an intercluster and transautonomous initiative that tries to develop smart labels using contactless technology, to offer other functionalities to packaging such as product traceability or counterfeiting control systems.
• It is a project promoted within the framework of the support program for Agrupaciones Empresariales Innovadorass by Clusaga and the Packaging Cluster, with the participation of the Eurecat technology center, IPE Industria Gráfica, Cooperativa Vitivinícola Arousana SCG (Paco & Lola) and Bodegas Matarromera.
• SmartLabels was the second best valued project by the Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo, in the 2020 call.
• This morning, the project closing event was held with a synthesis of the activities carried out and the results obtained, in addition to the presentation of future trends in Smart Packaging.

During the last year, the consortium of the SmartLabels project has explored the feasibility of using new printing technologies on self-adhesive labels for wine bottles, such as NFC antennas and univocal invisible two-dimensional codes, in order to be able to make a real follow-up of the product throughout the production and distribution process, in addition to avoiding counterfeits, or facilitating consumer interaction with the packaging and the brand.

In this case, two national clusters, the Packaging Cluster of Catalonia and the Clúster Alimentario de Galicia, have linked the digitization needs of the Paco&Lola and Matarromera Wineries, with the knowledge of the Eurecat technology center and the resources of the manufacturer of labels and Sleeves IPE Industria Gráfica, to obtain these smart labels for the wine sector, but easily replicable to other sectors.

After a year of work, the results of the project have been presented to the national innovation ecosystem, in the virtual conference this morning.

To begin, Xavier Lesauvage, Managing Partner and Marketing Strategy Leader of the consulting firm Connociam, has opened the session with an exhibition of the trends in Smart Packaging for 2021, based on the study carried out together with the Packaging Cluster (see executive summary) at the beginning of year.

For her part, Noelia Dosil, Innovation Project Manager of the Clúster Alimentario de Galicia, has defended the contribution of the SmartLabels project to the global knowledge of the industry with a technological innovation that allows the smart label system to be replicated to other products and sectors.

It was also shared during today's session, together with Juan Estanislao López, Smart Engineering Research Group Manager of Eurecat, the operation of the NFC -Near field communication- system for the benefit of the wine sector, so that through contactless technology it is possible to create a bond with the consumer while sharing interesting information about the brand and the product.

On the other hand, Cleiver Salazar, Technical Manager of IPE Industria Gráfica, defined in front of the attendees the process of applying invisible ink with a unique two-dimensional code on the labels to be developed, as experts in the field.

Daniel Durán, Viticulture and Innovation Technician of Sociedad Cooperativa Vitivinícola Arousana, Paco & Lola, and Raquel González, Technical Department of R&D&I of Bodegas Familiares Matarromera, have concluded with a sample of how the prototypes have been implemented in their chains of production.

Collaboration between different autonomous communities and different industries has allowed the initiative to reach a very high degree of potential, by introducing a scalable concept in other areas and generating knowledge of great added value in line with the National Strategy for Connected Industry 4.0. More information about the project in the following video

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