Tri-Wall brings together global teams for 2026 International Innovation Contest

What happens when 132 packaging and engineering specialists from 20 countries come together with one goal: to find better ways of solving real-world challenges?

Earlier this year in Chengdu, China, the 2026 Tri-Wall International Innovation contest brought people from a whole host of our offices together to share ideas, test new approaches and showcase some of the thinking taking place across our international network.

Sixteen teams presented their projects to judges and colleagues during the event, with teams working across different industries and markets. The contest really highlighted the breadth of challenges packaging and engineering teams are being asked to solve for customers – and the different ways Tri-Wall teams are responding.

Innovation in action

It was excellent to see the sheer range of projects spanning everything from automotive export packaging and aerospace to solar panels, EV bikes and liquid cooling components. Other entries explored testing, production automation, reusable packaging and ways to reduce environmental impact (something that sits at the core of who we are as a business).

The applications may have been very different, but some clear themes emerged across the board with a shared focus on finding smarter, more efficient ways to solve problems, whilst helping customers manage costs, improve sustainability and get greater value from their packaging.

Just as importantly, the contest gave people the chance to see how those challenges are being approached across the world.

Ideas were presented, questioned and discussed throughout the event, with judges and colleagues sharing their perspectives and challenging teams to explore their thinking further. For the teams involved, it was a chance not only to demonstrate what they had developed, but to take inspiration from approaches being used elsewhere in the group.

Big ideas go international

The spirit of collaboration was reflected by the results: Tri-Wall America took first place, whilst a joint team from our Austrian, Serbian, Italian and Polish offices took second place in tandem with TRICOR from Germany. There were a suite of other awards recognising contributions from across the wider Tri-Wall Group.

Will Doyle, Head of Sales at Tri-Wall UK attended the event and saw first-hand the range of ideas that were developed and brought to the table by the different teams.

“What really stood out to me was how much we had in common, despite coming from different markets. It was great to meet colleagues from across the business and see the enthusiasm and energy they brought to their projects.

“It was particularly interesting to note how often customers are asking for variations of the same thing, even when the applications and industries are very different. What makes the contest so valuable is being able to bring different perspectives to those challenges – building on each other’s ideas, asking questions and finding new ways to take them forwards. There was a really inspiring atmosphere throughout the event, and it was great to see that spirit of collaboration in action.”

With this year’s event complete, attention now turns to Spain, which will host the 2027 contest. If Chengdu was anything to go by, it promises to be another great opportunity to show what progress can happen when different perspectives come together.