The place to share

OPENLab Bologna is located at the IMA Group Headquarters in Ozzano dell’Emilia and focuses on analytical activities and technical evaluation in close connection with IMA’s industrial environment.

Opened in 2020, the site operates within a dedicated laboratory space of approximately 100 m² and hosts an in-house Analytical Lab equipped with advanced scientific instrumentation, such as a Bending Force Tester. The laboratory supports the analysis of packaging materials, structures and their interaction with processing technologies, as well as technical discussion, results interpretation and packaging design activities.

Testing activities can be carried out in collaboration with nearby IMA divisions, allowing flexibility depending on project needs and technological scope. This setup supports a wide range of applications, making OPENLab Bologna a transversal location within the OPENLab network.

Analytical and testing activities are carried out by material experts and technical specialists, supporting projects developed with industrial customers as well as packaging material producers. Insights generated through these activities contribute to the OPENLab Competence Center, supporting knowledge consolidation and alignment across the network.

OPENLab Lugano brings together analytical capabilities and dedicated industrial testing within a single location, supporting packaging evaluation and validation activities in close-to-production conditions.

Active since 2017, the site operates across over 400 m² and hosts an in-house Analytical Lab integrated with dedicated Test Areas equipped with horizontal form-fill-seal machines. This configuration allows material analysis and machine testing to be carried out within the same environment, enabling a continuous and structured evaluation process.

At this location, testing and analysis services can be directly booked, supporting activities related to packaging materials, machine performance and processability. Specific equipment, such as leak detection systems, further supports the assessment of packaging integrity and performance.

Insights generated through analytical and testing activities contribute to the OPENLab Competence Center, a structured technical knowledge base built on thousands of real cases and field experiences. At Lugano, this contribution goes beyond individual projects, combining data from customer activities with internally driven testing and analysis initiatives aimed at deepening the understanding of material behaviour, processability and performance under different operating conditions.

By consolidating and continuously enriching this body of knowledge, OPENLab is able to interpret performance patterns, compare solutions and support informed technical choices. This enables more structured evaluations and, where relevant, practical recommendations that can support optimisation and packaging redesign.

OPENLab Arezzo is located at Foiano della Chiana and focuses on industrial testing and validation activities carried out within a dedicated production environment.

The site hosts a 200 m² test area equipped with vertical form-fill-seal machines, supporting the evaluation of packaging materials, structures and packaging solutions under real operating conditions. Cold-room facilities further enable testing under controlled low-temperature environments, allowing the assessment of packaging performance where temperature and environmental conditions play a critical role.

Analytical activities are application-oriented and support industrial testing activities, with a primary focus on processability verification and performance validation on packaging lines. Testing activities are carried out in interaction with industrial customers, packaging material producers and technical teams.

Data and experience generated through industrial testing activities contribute to the OPENLab Competence Center, supporting knowledge consolidation, comparison across applications and shared technical learning within the network.

OPENLab Lowell extends OPENLab activities to the North American context, combining analytical capabilities with application-oriented testing activities carried out within a local industrial environment.

The site hosts an Analytical Lab dedicated to the evaluation of packaging materials and their behaviour during processing. Testing activities are performed on available flowpack machines within the local environment, enabling practical validation of materials and packaging solutions under real application conditions and supporting flexible evaluation aligned with regional production needs.

Analytical and testing activities support the assessment of material behaviour, processability and performance, contributing to the identification of suitable material–machine combinations for specific applications. Activities are carried out in interaction with industrial customers, packaging material producers and technical teams operating in the North American market.

Insights generated through analytical work and testing activities contribute to the OPENLab Competence Center, helping integrate regional experience and application-specific knowledge into the broader OPENLab network.