By Dr. Bernhard Reichenbach, Chefredakteur

It is no secret that the confectionery and snack industries – just like related, rather technically oriented industries – are not a female domain. However, various articles in this issue show that there are indeed competent women in these areas – starting with the personal news, where two female executives are introduced, to our coverage of the 10th Round Table Cocoa in Hamburg/Germany and the 1st International OTC Symposium in Aachen/Germany, where renowned female speakers from research, science and industry shared their experiences and insights.

In our “Technology” section, you will also get to know two “strong” women: The two British entrepreneurs use the Eddie Edible Ink Printer food printer to add a personal touch to delicacies such as themed biscuits or macarons with individual decorations and inscriptions of all kinds. Elaborate manual work is now a thing of the past.

Efficient solutions are promised in a white paper by robotics specialist Smart Robotics, which provides information on end-of-line automation with robots or cobots. It can be the ideal first step to combat labour shortages, as palletizing is one of the easiest processes to automate.

In our “sp-Portrait” series, we this time present the Panther Group, a family-run company that supplies the European market with corrugated board, packaging, displays, preprint products and various services. Another interesting topic in the “Packaging” section is the often delicate packaging of chocolate products.