• The 2024 AIP President Award winner of a Diploma in Packaging Technology Scholarship is Camilo Serrano, packaging engineer at Don KRC.
    The 2024 AIP President Award winner of a Diploma in Packaging Technology Scholarship is Camilo Serrano, packaging engineer at Don KRC.
  • Camilo Serano tells co-MC Sally Williams what the award means to him.
    Camilo Serano tells co-MC Sally Williams what the award means to him.
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The AIP President’s Scholarship has been designed to work in collaboration with the ABA program to help one additional person undertake either a Certificate in Packaging or a Diploma in Packaging Technology each year.

Camilo Serano tells co-MC Sally Williams what the award means to him.
Camilo Serano tells co-MC Sally Williams what the award means to him.

This year, the AIP will be providing one additional Diploma in Packaging Technology scholarship under the AIP President’s awards to Camilo Serrano, packaging engineer at Don KRC.

About the winner:

As a mechanical engineer, Serrano started to grow an interest in packaging from the moment he graduated with his Bachelor's degree overseas.

His first experience in packaging was in Colombia (his home country) working for a multi-national cosmetics company.

In 2022, Serrano started his journey in a packaging role in Australia, this time in a food manufacturer – Don Smallgoods – part of George Weston Foods (GWF). This was very different from cosmetics.

He believes that the Diploma in Packaging Technology will give him the tools to not only better understand the Australian packaging Industry, but also provide him with the technical knowledge necessary to make Don Smallgoods a role model in the food manufacturing industry and circular economy.

In five years, he sees himself sharing his knowledge with future generations of packaging professionals, as well as collaborating with other industries in the research and development of new sustainable materials.

Serrano is committed to keep growing professionally and to inspire future packaging professionals to make packaging technology their career of choice.

Food & Drink Business

The Victorian government has invested $160,000 to support the sustainability and profitability of the state’s wine industry, matched by $240,000 from Wine Australia. The funds will help Wine Victoria to provide the wine industry with the knowledge, tools and resources needed to improve practices and outcomes.

Australian spirits producers had an outstanding showing at the 2025 International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) in London, with top scoring producers including 30 Knots Spirits, Australian Distilling Co., Ester Distilling, Mt. Uncle Distillery, Nine Circles Distillery, and Turner Stillhouse.

The recent innovation forum hosted by the Australian Marketing Institute and research company, T Garage, examined the reality for the rapidly evolving landscape of consumer goods that innovation is now table stakes. Experts from three of Australia's Top 100 food and drink companies shared their experiences and confirmed innovation is not just a corporate strategy, but a mindset permeating personal and professional life.