Innovation in the supply system opens new business opportunities for the productive chain of the sector.

Braskem has just signed a contract with a big food industry that will start using the "shrinkable" polyethylene film in its packaging for transportation. It is an integrated solution that became possible through the partnership with a plastic film supplier and that will allow the industrial customer to replace the traditional paper boxes with competitive advantages. In this operation, around 14 million of paper boxes per year will be replaced in the market.

According to Marcelo Mancini, Commercial Director of Poliethylene at Braskem, this supply model, uniting the thermoplastic resin producer and the transformer, is innovative in the Brazilian market and it shows that the productive chain can work interactively, optimizing the results and taking advantages of new opportunities.

Besides the better performance of the polyethylene film due to its impermeability and mechanical resistance, this integrated solution also brings gains to the final customer and the investment in the machinery is responsibility of the transformer with the support of Braskem. There will also be exclusivity in the resin and film supply for a 5 years term. For Braskem, this system represents a potential of value adding of around US$ 50 million for the next three years.

"Our commitment is to offer our final customer, the industrial sector, the better solution for their business. First we present them a proposal for changing the material utilized, together with studies of technical and economical viability. After that, we develop with their preferred transformer a new alternative for a more competitive packaging for their product", explains Mancini.

According to Mancini, the new model establishes a favorable business environment for all the productive chain of the sector. The supplier of raw material gains with the increase of demand, the development of new competencies and the improvement of other businesses as well. Then, the transformer gets long and short term deals and is recognized as a differentiated supplier. Finally, the final industrial customer, the enduser, also gains minimizing investments in actives and reducing costs.

With this operation model, Braskem confirms its strategic focus on technology and innovation, showing the efficacy of products, applications and markets development to amplify the consumption of plastic enhancing the competitiveness of its productive chain.