ZURICH (News release) -- The University of Southern Indiana and Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, have announced an innovative partnership designed to bring fresh thinking to real-world consumer packaging challenges while providing students with experiential learning and career development opportunities.

Amcor and USI are piloting a semester-long project in Spring 2026 uniting USI students and faculty with Amcor professionals to co-create practical packaging concepts that address real industry needs. The project, coordinated through USI's Center for Applied Research, has seven student participants supported by four faculty mentors as well as industry experts from Amcor.

"As a public University, USI serves as an innovation engine for businesses throughout our region," said USI President Steven J. Bridges. "This partnership with Amcor demonstrates how external companies, large and small, can bring complex challenges to our campus and tap into the collective talent of our students, faculty and applied research resources. It's a powerful example of how USI helps our community grow, innovate and succeed."

Students involved in the pilot project represent all four USI colleges and the School of Graduate Studies. Their disciplines of study include engineering, manufacturing technology, occupational therapy, economics, marketing, and art and design. They will collaborate throughout the pilot on a project that builds a business case, value proposition and proof of concept for a specific packaging solution.

Throughout the process, the students will meet regularly with Amcor specialists in product development and design, marketing, portfolio management and sustainability to ideate and refine their concepts, with Amcor leaders also reviewing the final projects and providing feedback.

"At Amcor, we are continuously seeking fresh thinking to develop the best packaging innovations for our customers and consumers," said Bill Norman Amcor Rigid Packaging Solutions North America President. "This partnership allows us to do that while also supporting the workforce of tomorrow in the greater Evansville area."

Norman added, "We believe in Evansville and are eager to keep strengthening opportunities here, including through education programs that prepare local students to achieve real-world outcomes at companies like ours."

Amcor, a major employer in the Evansville area, has a long track record of supporting education, workforce readiness and economic development. Today, many USI alumni work at Amcor's Evansville locations, and this partnership is expected to benefit both organizations beyond the pilot course.

"USI's academic strength combined with Amcor's industry expertise is a model for industry-university collaboration that empowers students, strengthens regional talent pipelines and supports forward‑thinking solutions," said Bridges.