Two Sides Insight – Interview With Herwig Kirchberger, DELSCI

Biography and Introduction

Ian Bates, Marketing and Partnership Director for Two Sides interviewed Herwig Kirchberger, Managing Director of DELSCI (part of the Delfort Group), in the latest Insight interview.

“Welcome Herwig to the Two Sides Insight Interviews!

By way of a brief introduction…

Herwig is Managing Director at the Austrian-based, applied research company DELSCI and since 2020 responsible for strategic business and packaging development activities. DELSCI is designing next-generation fibre-based packaging solutions for Delfort, a global speciality paper manufacturing & printing group. With a team of over 20 scientists and engineers, DELSCI’s mission is to reinvent paper for true sustainable barrier packaging applications. Herwig also campaigns for agile processes, open collaborations and a design thinking mind-set in the paper and packaging industry.

Before working at DELSCI, he was co-founder of an engineering and prototyping company and managed it from 2016-2019. From 2008 – 2016 he was Head of Business Development and Business Unit Director for a global player in the textile industry and from 2001 – 2008 he was responsible for Sales and Business Development in the Asia/Pacific region for a global semiconductor equipment manufacturer.

He holds a master’s degree in technical physics from the University in Graz/Austria and an MBA from the University of Krems/Austria. Herwig is a certified Agile Project Manager and Design Thinking Expert.“

Questions Asked:

1. Founded in 2006 and privately-owned, The Austrian-based Delfort Group is one of the leading speciality paper mill groups with mills located in Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Finland and Vietnam and with converting facilities in the USA, Mexico, Bulgaria, Germany, Malaysia and China. The group makes over 1,500 products and employs 3,200 people. Herwig, you lead the R&D and pro-typing facility, DELSCI. Can you tell us more about your work and why it is so important to the group and the flexible paper packaging sector as a whole?
2. We are starting to witness a paradigm shift from flexible plastic to paper packaging. What’s driving this transition and what does the future look like for brands wanting to reduce the environmental impacts of their packaging?
3. What are the main barriers to change and how can we overcome these challenges?
4. Why do you think only about 15% of consumers believe forests are growing (in Europe) and that the rest either don’t know or perceive they’re shrinking in area and what can we do to change these misconceptions?