FEFPEB membership hears tech advances will transform pallets and packaging within ten years, driven by AI
Pallet and packaging companies heard that they should expect significant change in their businesses within a decade, during a presentation on the imminent impact of artificial intelligence.
In the concluding speech to the annual congress of the European Federation of Wooden Pallet & Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB), titled ’Artificial Intelligence – opportunities for the wooden pallet and packaging industry’, business development and innovation expert and author Thierry Moubax of Compass AI said approximately 90 per cent of jobs would not exist as we know them ten years from now.
Moubax said an estimated 20-25 per cent improvement in productivity through AI technologies has been forecast for business.
Examples of benefits include freely available analytics and productivity tools; the development of ‘knowledge bots’ that allow all information about a business to be accessed usefully and continually from a single interface; 24-hour customer assistance; powerful marketing tools; the ability to listen to and summarise client meetings into action plans; streamlining the business acquisition, pitching and follow up process; supporting the recruitment of high-quality employees; and many more.
Moubax left delegates with the challenge of exploring how technology can improve their own businesses and how to develop and implement bespoke AI-enabled tools.
The 71st FEFPEB congress was organised by Belgian wood trade association Fedustria, taking place onm 25-27 September in Ostend, Belgium.
The full day’s business session during the event also saw a presentation by Koen de Leus, chief economist, research at BNP Paribas Fortis, who spoke about the new world economy, and the most significant changes that would impact businesses in the short- to medium-term.
FEFPEB unveiled its revised ‘Packaging from Nature’ campaign during the congress, which included a revamped logo, websites, and information resources.
The initiative was first launched in 2011 to promote the environmental, economic, and other benefits of using wooden pallets and packaging, rather than alternatives on the market.
“The FEFPEB Congress is the essential place for European and international colleagues from the wooden pallet and packaging industry to meet, network, and discuss latest developments in our sector,” said FEFPEB secretary general Fons Ceelaert.
“Thanks to the hard work of our partner Fedustria, this year’s event in Ostend and Bruges was a great success, giving our membership updates on the regulations and wider economic and technological changes that will impact their businesses in the months and years ahead, with time to consider our shared industry response to these, too.”
