How young designers are shaping the future of paperboard packaging

How do new packaging ideas emerge, and what does it take to turn them into practical solutions? These questions are at the heart of the Pro Carton Young Designers Award (PCYDA), which showcases innovative paperboard packaging concepts created by students from across Europe.

Through its role as a material partner, Metsä Board helps participants gain hands-on experience with fresh fibre paperboard and packaging materials. The competition provides a unique opportunity to showcase new ideas while helping students better understand the role of materials, functionality and sustainability in packaging design.

More than 1,000 packaging concepts submitted

The Pro Carton Young Designers Award is open to students from universities and design schools across Europe. In 2026, the competition reached a milestone, attracting more than 1,000 entries for the first time. Following the jury evaluation, 30 shortlisted designs advanced to the public voting stage.

The growing interest reflects the expanding role of packaging design. Beyond protecting products, packaging is increasingly expected to enhance consumer experiences, support brand goals and meet evolving sustainability expectations.

At the same time, the packaging industry is navigating significant changes driven by new regulation, resource efficiency requirements and the transition towards a circular economy. Addressing these challenges requires both creative thinking and a deep understanding of materials, manufacturing and packaging performance.

“Young designers bring fresh perspectives to packaging and challenge existing solutions. At the same time, it is important to understand early in the design process what a material can do and what requirements packaging must meet in practice. This is exactly the kind of exchange we want to encourage: bringing creative ideas together with material knowledge and design for manufacturing,” says Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director at Metsä Board.

Young designers bring fresh perspectives to packaging and challenge existing solutions.

Bridging creativity and practical packaging development

Transforming a promising design into a commercially viable packaging solution requires balancing multiple requirements, including product protection, material efficiency, convertibility, logistics and user experience.

This collaborative approach is also reflected in Metsä Board’s packaging development work. At the company’s Excellence Centre in Äänekoski, Finland, packaging concepts can be analysed, simulated and tested throughout the development process.

In July 2026, Metsä Board expanded its global design network with the opening of a Packaging Design Studio in Milan, Italy. Created to support customer workshops and collaborative packaging design, the studio brings brands, designers and packaging experts together in one of Europe’s leading design hubs. The Milan studio complements Metsä Board’s established Packaging Design Studio in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, extending these collaboration opportunities across both Europe and North America.

For Ilkka Harju, encouraging the next generation of packaging designers is an investment in the future of the industry:

“Be curious, be bold and be ready to challenge conventions. The packaging of tomorrow will not be inherited, it will be designed by you. The ideas being developed today can influence the decisions of millions of people in the future.”

Metsä Board paperboards shortlisted for European Carton Excellence Award 2026

A total of four packaging solutions made from Metsä Board paperboards have been shortlisted for the European Carton Excellence Award 2026, one of Europe’s most prestigious packaging design competitions.

The nominated entries demonstrate how paperboard packaging can combine functionality, visual impact and material efficiency across a range of applications and markets.

In addition to the jury awards, shortlisted entries are also eligible for the Public Award, giving consumers and industry professionals the opportunity to vote for their favourite designs.

Public voting for both the European Carton Excellence Award and the Pro Carton Young Designers Award is open until 24 August 2026. The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala in Rome on 17 September 2026.