BERICAP, one of the leading global manufacturers of plastic and aluminium closures, has received the TOP 100 award as one of the most innovative small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany in 2022. The TOP 100 seal of approval underlines the company’s pioneering role in the closure technology segment. An award in the category of ‘Chemicals/Plastic’ went to BERICAP after it impressed the panel of judges with sustainable new products, innovative solutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and targeted innovation management. The company is also the only food, beverage and industrial packaging/ closure manufacturer to be a TOP 100 winner in 2022. The TOP 100 is the most important innovation management competition in Germany. The competition’s mentor, science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar, will be paying a personal tribute to BERICAP at the awards ceremony on 24 June 2022.

Project coordinator Professor Nikolaus Franke of the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and his team, rated BERICAP very positively in the categories of ‘Innovation-friendly Senior Management’ and ‘Innovative Processes/Organisation’.

“We are delighted to have received the TOP 100 award because it both affirms and recognises the valuable contributions made by the entire BERICAP team. To sustain our position as a pioneer in safe as well as user and climate-friendly closures we assign the very best experts to our product development teams – and when necessary, we involve external specialists to assist with the products’ technical design and market launch,” said Christian Krautkrämer, Managing Director at BERICAP.

Fast and innovative answers to the pandemic

In all of the TOP 100 criteria BERICAP demonstrated an innovative approach in its responses to the COVID-19 situation. For example, it ramped up production at short notice to meet growth in demand from the hygiene and hospital segments for hand sanitizer closures. The production changeover only took twelve weeks – instead of the usual twelve months. BERICAP also collaborated with national health authorities to develop urgently required medical aids e.g. to support testing of COVID-19 patients.

Innovative and sustainable closures

BERICAP is focusing on sustainability in the evolution of its closures – by switching to a lighter design with lower material usage. Tethered caps are another noteworthy development in light of EU Directive 2019/904, which stipulates that plastic caps must remain attached to the bottle after opening from July 2024 onwards to reduce the impact of plastic products on the environment. BERICAP’s solution to the tethered cap requirement is BERICAP ClipAside, a closure developed to maximise consumer convenience on all major neck finishes that enables beverage manufacturers to comply with future requirements today – and with minimum impact on their production processes.

Another new and sustainable closure in the BERICAP portfolio is BERICAPValve, which is made from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) instead of the conventional silicone material. The valve prevents the contamination of the PET recycling stream with silicone and has obvious recycling advantages. BERICAPValve achieved excellent results in the Interseroh Institute’s certification audit and won a Packaging Europe Sustainability Award in 2020 in the category of ‘Recyclable Packaging’.

Successful development of innovative business segments

On the business side, BERICAP has been busy developing new markets and broadening its product portfolio with the acquisition of MALA GmbH, an aluminium closure specialist. In addition to aluminium closures for the wine sector with diverse finishing and décor options, BERICAP now offers aluminium alternatives to its established range of plastic closures for edible oil, vinegar and mineral water.

BERICAP’s innovative strength on diverse fronts gave it the edge over the other TOP 100 award candidates in the size category of ‘Companies with more than 200 Employees’ and it is one of just 15 companies in the ‘Chemicals/Plastics’ category to have received the TOP 100 seal of approval in 2022.