Published: 3/22/2024
(Akron, Ohio) – Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, announces that
Jim Popio, PhD, Vice President, Smithers Materials Science and Engineering Division, will be speaking at the upcoming ISTA Forum 2024 in San Diego, California, from April 22nd to April 24th. Smithers is a premier sponsor of the event.
Popio’s presentation, titled “The Impact of Generative AI on Packaging: Outlook to 2030,” is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, at 2:00 p.m. PDT, as part of the TransPack speaker lineup. Popio will present an overview of current trends and drivers in packaging, including the tremendous growth of generative AI in the industry in 2023. He will then discuss the opportunities, threats, and huge potential impacts of generative AI on the packaging industry as businesses invest in AI technology and experiment with these new tools.
“Generative AI is going to significantly lower the creative barriers in packaging, in terms of both content and design, and improve our interpretation and fulfillment of consumers’ needs,” said
Michael Kuebler, Technical Director of Smithers Distribution Testing. “Understanding these changes and leveraging the possibilities of generative AI will allow brands to move faster, optimize performance, and stay competitive in their markets.”
Popio has been the Vice President of North American operations for the Smithers Materials Science and Engineering division since 2016 covering several key segments including automotive, polymer materials, consumer products, and packaging. He has over 20 years of experience in solutions development in the transportation industry and spent much of his professional career working for and with original equipment manufacturers, dealers, component manufacturers, standards organizations, and government agencies. Popio has a PhD in engineering and an MS and BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Akron.
Smithers is a Premier Sponsor of ISTA Form 2024 and will be present in the exhibition hall. A number of key Smithers leaders will be present at the event, including Kuebler;
James White, Principal Project Manager; and
Andrew Charuk, Project Manager.
“This will be our fifteenth year sponsoring the ISTA Forum,” said Kuebler. “Smithers and ISTA have a long history of collaborating on key projects, including field data collection and
new testing standards. We’re looking forward to another year of connecting with our packaging and distribution colleagues and driving the industry forward.”
Kuebler has been leading an ISTA workgroup on load stability since 2018.
Those interested in attending ISTA Forum 2024 can
register here.
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About Smithers:
Founded in 1925 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Smithers is a multinational provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services. With laboratories and operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, Smithers supports customers in the transportation, life science, packaging, materials, components, consumer, cannabis, commodities, and energy industries. Smithers delivers accurate data, on time, with high touch, by integrating science, technology, and business expertise, so customers can innovate with confidence.
