"The NEWGENPAK ITN is an interdisciplinary research training network of 8 European universities, 3 research institutes and 6 enterprises, three of which are Full partners. Its primary aim is to create a European training network designed to improve the career prospects of its 10 ESRs and 2 ERs in both the public and private sector. The network will deliver a joint multidisciplinary research training programme which will encourage and foster the growth of the researchers’ skills in scientific expertise, technological knowledge and professional aptitude. The key vehicle in this strategy is a supervised personal, original research project in a critical aspect of sustainable packaging.The network has been designed to achieve the following objectives (i) to conduct top-level research and training and devise innovative solutions for specific EU needs in the area of sustainable packaging, (ii) to advance the state-of-the-art in wood cellulose based sustainable packaging in three specific areas (a) next generation packaging composites, (b) cellulose-fibre based active packaging and (c) environmental, economic and societal aspects of packaging production, (iii) to educate the next generation of researchers inside a broad European research training network which includes universities, research centres and industry, thereby accelerating the researchers’ advancement to team leader status, (iv) to improve the career prospects of ERs and ESRs through complementary training such as; writing and presentation skills; language, effective communication and collaboration; project management and finance; project/product cycles; entrepreneurship; IPR, (v) to create an integrated, long-term sustainable packaging research and training base in the EU by bringing together universities, research institutes and industrial players active in key research disciplines."