Insignia Technologies

Insignia Technologies Ltd., established in August 2012, is a Scotland-based company specializing in the development of colour-changing smart pigments and inks. The company emerged from the merger of Insigniapack Ltd, which focused on intelligent inks for food packaging sensors, and Novas Technologies Ltd, a spin-out from the University of Strathclyde with expertise in smart pigment technology. The core technology, developed by chemist Professor Andrew Mills, involves patented pigments that visually indicate changes in their environment, such as exposure to certain gases like CO₂ or shifts in temperature over time.

The company's business model is twofold: it provides bespoke development services to create tailored products for specific customer needs and offers a portfolio of ready-made solutions derived from its internal research and development. Insignia's primary market is the food industry, where its labels address the significant issue of food waste. For instance, an "After Opening Freshness" label changes color over a few days once a food package is opened, providing a clear, visual cue of the product's freshness and helping consumers avoid discarding perfectly edible food. This is achieved by creating intelligent plastics and inks that react to the dissipation of CO₂ used in modified atmosphere packaging. The technology has also been adapted for indicating the integrity of vacuum-sealed packages.

Insignia serves manufacturers, retailers, and packaging companies in sectors such as meat, dairy, and fresh produce. Beyond the food sector, the firm is expanding its applications into healthcare, for enhancing patient safety, and industrial settings for detecting CO₂ leaks. The company has secured funding from various sources, including Scottish Enterprise, Equity Gap, Highland Venture Capital, and the Scottish Investment Bank, to support commercial trials in the UK, US, and Europe and to further its research and development programs.

Keywords: smart pigments, color-changing inks, food freshness indicators, time-temperature indicators, CO2 indicators, smart packaging, food waste reduction, active packaging, intelligent packaging, modified atmosphere packaging, food safety labels, University of Strathclyde spin-out, Novas Technologies, Insigniapack, after-opening freshness, shelf-life indicators, sustainable packaging, food technology, packaging innovation, environmental sensors, gas detection