“My basic idea was to improve the two-part packaging previously used for axial fans mounted in housings – making one part out of two. That would enable us to substantially reduce the amount of cardboard used and the time required for setup,” explains Gruber. Regarding the origin of his new idea, he says “I told our packaging supplier about my idea, and their developers worked out a solution that was ready for series production.” The economic benefits of the change include an impressive 30% reduction in material and a 48% reduction in setup time. The German Packaging Award is not Sebastian Gruber’s first win this year. In May he won the WorldStar Packaging Award, the highest international award for packaging, for the “BCT Powerecke” that he developed. “Winning two prizes in a year was unexpected, but I’m very pleased,” says Gruber. The German Packaging Award is an international contest involving multiple sectors and materials. It is sponsored by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. With the award, the Deutsche Verpackungsinstitut (dvi) honors innovative and creative packaging ideas every year.