In this exclusive interview, Marco Gramola, Global IP and Business Development Director of Guala Dispensing Group, meets with Nadia Gualeni, Partner and Italian and European Patent Attorney at Jacobacci & Partners, to explore the importance of strategic intellectual property management in the world of packaging. Since the 1960s, the company has prioritized protecting its innovative solutions through industrial property rights, building an impressive portfolio that now includes over 500 designs and approximately 100 patent families. This commitment to innovation and IP protection has been instrumental in establishing Guala Dispensing as a market leader in rigid packaging solutions worldwide.
The Interview
Nadia Gualeni: The first operational core of the Guala Group was established in 1954 by Cavalier Angelo Guala that founded a small company in Alessandria for the industrial exploitation of new plastic materials. From the very beginning, the company prioritized protecting its innovative solutions through industrial property, resulting in numerous patents for bottle closure systems dating back to the 1960s. This focus on innovation and intellectual property contributed to the growth of the Guala Group, which includes now Guala Pack Group, specializing in flexible packaging, and Guala Dispensing Group, incorporating Bisio Progetti and specialized in rigid packaging.
Today, together with Marco Gramola, IP Director of the Guala Dispensing Group, we’ll delve into the world of rigid packaging to explore how the continuous pursuit of new technical solutions aligns with a strategic approach to intellectual property.
Marco Gramola: Thank you, Nadia. Today, the entire Group generates a turnover exceeding €600 million and employs around 4,000 people. Regarding Guala Dispensing, specialized in plastic injection molding, our commercial offering is divided into three product divisions:
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Home & Care Division, producing trigger sprayers for cleaning products and toothpaste dispensers;
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Food Division, producing coffee and soluble beverage capsules;
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Pharma Division, which, in addition to single-dose vials mainly used in ophthalmology, manufactures components and products for the medical sector.
These products are manufactured in five plants worldwide to ensure a global presence. Trigger sprayers, for instance, are commonly available on supermarket shelves, paired with leading brands in the sector. As for coffee capsules, which are compatible with major platforms, we are European leaders in terms of product volume and second globally. The number of capsules produced exceeds 2.7 billion units per year.
For us, Research and Development is a cornerstone of the company's strategy and success. It involves 9% of our workforce and investments for an amount to 5% of our revenue. One of our key strengths is having a large and motivated R&D team with the right mix of experienced professionals and young talent to foster creativity. Additionally, we have an in-house workshop for mold production and cutting-edge technical laboratories equipped with the latest technologies for testing during new product development and essential quality checks.
Marco Gramola: From a production process perspective, we have also adopted the latest technologies, with a strong emphasis on automation to enhance productivity and product quality.
This finds a synergistic partner in Jacobacci & Partners, with whom we have a long-standing collaboration.
Nadia Gualeni: Thank you, Marco, for the trust placed in us. I must say, the markets you operate in are highly competitive, populated by large and often aggressive players, rightly focused on defending their industrial property rights. This makes it essential to analyze competitors' patent portfolios early in the Research and Development phases to guide the R&D department on potential obstacles and identify open areas to focus efforts.
Marco Gramola: Absolutely. Patent searches and freedom-to-operate analyses are now an integral part of our product development process. Additionally, reducing plastic use, incorporating recycled materials, and ensuring product recyclability at the end of their lifecycle are increasingly demanded by our customers, in line with sustainability goals and considering that our products are made of plastic.
For example, we recently launched a new platform called ATOM-Z for cleaning product sprayers, made entirely of components from the same material, greatly enhancing end-of-life recyclability.
In the capsule sector, we have been producing compostable capsules for many years, allowing them to be disposed of with organic waste after use, significantly benefiting the company’s sustainability efforts.
Nadia Gualeni: One of Jacobacci's goals is precisely to help the company to exploit all these R&D efforts. This involves not only the granting of patents but also ensuring strong and defensible rights that act as deterrents against competitors and provide effective shields to protect proprietary inventions.
To give a few numbers, the Guala Dispensing Group vaunts an extensive international portfolio, with over 500 designs and about 100 patent families, as well as corporate and product trademarks. This care on intellectual property has enabled the Guala Dispensing Group to build a comprehensive portfolio that protects more than 30 years of history in packaging. We hope this collaboration will continue for years to come.
Marco Gramola: Certainly, the challenges are never-ending.
Nadia Gualeni: Then let’s get to work!
Marco Gramola: But first, a good coffee... in a capsule!
