SmartSkin Year-End Review 2024
As the year draws to a close, we wanted to reflect on the journey we’ve undertaken as a company. This past year has been one of growth, adaptation, and a collective dedication to achieving our objectives. Our team has demonstrated resilience, and a steadfast dedication to delivering value for our customers, partners, and community.
In this year-end review, we look back on the milestones that have shaped our journey, celebrate the achievements that highlight our progress, and look ahead to another year of prosperity.
Giving back to the Community
SmartSkin’s success and growth is owed in large part to the support of the local community so we take great pride in giving back. We picked several local organizations that make a significant contribution to Fredericton and New Brunswick.
In 2024 Founder and CTO Kumaran Thillainadarajah was a United Way Campaign Co-chair along with Phil Curley of Hotspot Parking. Through employee payroll contributions, as well company donations, SmartSkin donated a total of $6,800 towards the United Way Central, a foundation that brings together people and organizations across Canada to help meet community needs and tackle complex social issues.
Photo Credits: Andrew Kelly
Through the sale of surplus technology to employees, the SmartSkin team also raised and donated $4680 to the Greener Village Fredericton, a community food and resource bank that supports over 2000 families each month in Fredericton.
As a testament to our efforts towards sustainability, SmartSkin donated computers to the Assistive Technology Services Department at Horizon Health Network’s Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation. Additionally, computers were also donated to the Multicultural Association in Fredericton to support newcomer children and families in accessing technology in their homes.
Global Recognition
In 2024 SmartSkin was recognized on the global stage with several award nominations and wins. We were honoured to receive global recognition by receiving awards and finalist positions for the following prestigious awards:
- Winner of Best Manufacturing/Processing Technology Innovation for World Beverage Innovation Awards.
- Winner of the Global Diversification Award at the 2024 Opportunities NBExport awards.
- Finalist for the Beverage Digest awards for Best Technology Innovation
Thank you to FoodBev Media, Beverage Digest, and Opportunities New Brunswick for your belief in our value as it fuels our determination to keep developing our technology and exceeding expectations.
Customer and Product Presentations
In 2024 SmartSkin made several investments in our customers by hosting several in-person and virtual events that saw an amalgamation of our customer base as well as those interested in our solutions learn more about how they can use SmartSkin to drive sustainability and productivity goals. These global events discussed the various applications/utilities of SmartSkin’s technology, and highlighted how industry leaders are using our solutions to optimize manufacturing processes across the beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
1st Puerto Rico Customer Forum – Brought together industry experts from major pharmaceutical filling operations and our partners at Genesis Packaging Technologies. The conference explored a range of uses of SmartSkin from preventative maintenance, to seal tightness and capping processes.
1st Ireland Customer Forum – Hosted at the NIBRT facility (National Institute of Bioprocessing Research and Training) the forum brought together industry experts from major pharmaceutical plants in Ireland who explored the innovations with SmartSkin’s Qualifier solutions and toured the facility.
True Cost of Leakers Webinar
Saw a diverse range of attendees in the beverage manufacturing industry who came together to learn how leakers occur and quantify their direct and indirect costs. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from industry experts on how to implement validated solutions to prevent leakers and establish operational efficiency and strategies to achieve zero defect manufacturing.
2025 will see many more virtual and in-person conferences and forums. Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming events to explore SmartSkin applications by industry experts.
Trade Shows
In addition to hosting events, SmartSkin also exhibited at several trade shows and conferences over the year and had the opportunity to connect with leaders, line operators, and engineers in the beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Not only did they serve as an opportunity to showcase our technology but to also learn about exciting global innovations in the manufacturing space.
PharmaPack – The PharmaPack conference focused on sustainability. We attended the conference in Paris, France where our partners at SCHOTT Pharma presented on sustainability and their EVERIC® freeze containers.
ISPE Aseptic Conference – We were grateful to exhibit at the ISPE Aseptic Conference in Vienna, Germany. Kevin Grandey, (technical consultant at SmartSkin) and Michael Edey (Senior Principal Engineer at Pfizer), presented about supporting Container Closure Integrity through SmartSkin’s Seal Tightness technology. You can learn more about their presentation here.
PDA Annual Meeting – We exhibited at the PDA Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California and had the chance to attend a tour of the Dendreon Corporate Headquarters that houses both the Immunotherapy Manufacturing facility (IMF) and is also the corporate and commercial headquarters. Their flagship product was the first FDA-approved immunotherapy to harness the innate benefits of personalized cellular treatment made from a patient’s own immune cells.
PDA Parenteral Packaging Conference – We exhibited at this conference in Copenhagen, Denmark and successfully demoed our new Qualifier solution for routine use and container twin fleet for improving capping performance and optimizing container closure strategy.
ISPE Biotechnology Conference – Dr. Mihaela Simianu presented about Distinct Transferable Knowledge where she discussed the power and value of the unique type of knowledge acquired using SmartSkin’s digital replicas of vials, syringes, or cartridges in speeding up activities and integrating critical to quality requirements across Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 validation. It was an honour to have Dr. Simianu champion SmartSkin’s benefits on this technical platform.
PDA FDA Joint Regulatory Conference– We had the opportunity to exhibit at this conference in Westin Washington, DC Downtown with our partners, Genesis Packaging Technologies and SCHOTT Pharma.
Pack Expo East in Philadelphia Provided an incredible opportunity for SmartSkin to share our technology with experts in the manufacturing industry and explore innovations within the food, beverage, cosmetic, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. It was also a great honour to connect with industry experts and leaders to discuss trends, opportunities and avenues for the future of manufacturing.
Brau Beviale in Nuremberg, Germany was a great opportunity for us to connect with such a widespread audience in the manufacturing industry. We were happy to both discuss innovations with our solutions to manufacturing audiences in Europe and also host fiery Air Hockey competitions at our booth.
Expanding the Team
We are proud to sustain our growing business with the addition of valuable members. This year, SmartSkin added to the production, operations, software, mechanical design, sales, marketing and customer success team. We have no doubt that their experience and compassion for innovation will elevate SmartSkin’s processes and be imperative to its future success.
Thank you to our Partners
We would also like to extend a heartfelt gratitude to our partners SCHOTT, PDA, Genesis Packaging Technologies, NIBRT, Millchem, and Y-Knot who have supported our continuous progress. Your unwavering belief in our solutions has been a constant source of motivation.
Farewell 2024
As we bid adieu to this year of opportunities, success, learning, and celebrate the milestones we’ve achieved this year, we remain resolute in our pursuit of innovation, excellence, and our long-term vision.
With the new year on the horizon, we are ready to take on its challenges and seize its opportunities, confident in our ability to advance technology and deliver exceptional results. Thank you for being part of our story—we look forward to an inspiring 2025.
