This document discusses the concept of industry clusters and the need for a packaging cluster in Mexico. A cluster is a group of organizations from different industries that work together to address the needs of a particular sector. While Mexico has clusters for industries like automotive and aerospace, it lacks a packaging cluster. The document outlines key requirements for packaging in industries, such as frequent deliveries, storage, logistics, design, training, laboratories, IT, and sustainability. It argues that a packaging cluster could help providers better meet these needs through strategic partnerships that integrate more services and reduce shortcomings.

1. Packaging
Cluster
By Jorge Moreno-Group O
Mexico
jorge.moreno@groupopackagi
ng.com

2. Cluster
 A Cluster is a group of contractors,
suppliers, government agencies,
universities and industry related
associations, which are integrated to give
an answer to an industrial sector. The
Cluster concept was popularized by
economist Michael Porter in 1990, in his
book The Competitive Advantage of
Nations ("Competitive Advantage of
Nations").

3. Clusters in Mexico
 In Mexico there Clusters for the medical
industry, Clusters for the automotive industry,
the mining industry Clusters, Clusters for the
aerospace industry, among others. But none
of them includes a Cluster packing. Very few
companies are integrated packaging in a
nearby industrial park to its customers, usually
happens in reverse, packaging companies
are far removed from their customers creating
a gap in the supply chain.

4. Packaging requirements in
most industries:
 Frequency of material deliveries
 Storage
 Logistics
 Design-Specifications
 Training
 Laboratories
 ICTs
 Sustainable

5. Frequency of material
deliveries
 Most companies work with lean
manufacturing philosophies thus can not
be stored more material to be produced
in a day.
 That is why providers should have a way
to store the product in order to deliver
small quantities and not in installments.

6. Storage
 Store represents a cost that few customers
are willing to pay for a service, therefore,
each space must be maximized in order
to be efficient and seek to maintain a
high turnover in order to avoid over-
inventory and shrinkage.

7. Logistics
 Most companies work with lean
manufacturing philosophies thus can not
be stored more material to be produced
in a day.
 That is why providers should have a way
to store the product in order to deliver
small quantities and not in installments.

8. Design
 When we talk about design many companies
have focused on only one or two elements of
it, however, customers are looking for
suppliers contemplate holistic designs, that is
where there will be a comprehensive
response. Customers expect to assist them
with preparing drawings, specifications,
recommendations for application specific
materials, methods and forms of assessment
of packaging.

9. Training
 In Latin America has a lot of ignorance on the
subject of packaging, starting with the
universities. There are few countries have a
career in Engineering Packaging. The related
subjects are studied only in racing Graphic
Design and Industrial Design but to a limited
extent only focus on the design of marketing
and leaving out all the other elements. Hence
the recommendation that customers and
suppliers are trained in issues related to its
business steadily turn arises because materials
technology is advancing rapidly.

10. Laboratories
 Only a few transnational corporations have
laboratories within its facilities, usually large
corporations have separated manufacturing
plants laboratories are located where they are
corporate, so it is very important that providers
may have equipment to facilitate testing new
designs implementations process improvements.
 It is also important that (where possible) businesses
have laboratory equipment in its manufacturing
plants, so you can evaluate the materials they
receive from their suppliers and evaluate their own
methods of packaging and thus ensure quality of
their products.

11. Information technology
 At this point is where there is much
opportunity area, although there are
general design software, these are limited
to the packaging industry. Customers are
seeking ways to optimize costs and
maximize shipments within the supply
chain. Therefore, it is recommended to
purchase software to enable more
reliable designs.

12. Sustainable
 Although the issue of global warming is
having a lot of momentum, only a handful
of customers who are willing to pay the
price for environmental friendly products
and the environment, however, this can
on be working with vendors who provide
packaging solutions and packaging
materials that allow reused, recycled, or
recovered at the lowest possible cost and
time.

13. Challenges for members of
the Clusters
 Always providers are expected much and
all the onus on employers. So being the
most interested should start looking for
ways to cover most of the listed
deficiencies. As mentioned, it is difficult for
a supplier to offer everything, which is why
we must work on strategic partnerships
with other providers that allow you to
integrate more services and reduce their
shortcomings.

14. summary
 For the development of a cluster should begin
the process of identifying, defining and
describing a Cluster and its participants
(contractors, suppliers, government agencies,
universities and industry related associations),
is not standardized as a defined method
Although cluster models has already
operating in the world, each pursues different
purposes and are geared to their
geographical area. So, to function as Cluster
everyone should be focused towards the
same common goal.

15. Q& A
 Thank you