What do satellites and snack boxes have in common? Origami. Yup, the ancient Japanese art of folding paper isn’t just for cranes and cute party tricks anymore—it’s being used to make packaging cooler, tougher, and eco-friendlier.
Back in the groovy 1970s, a Japanese astrophysicist named Koryo Miura (along with colleague Masamori Sakamaki) folded paper in a way that eventually launched into space. Literally. Their creation—the Miura fold—was so brilliant, space agencies like JAXA, NASA, and ESA started folding solar panels like origami to send them zooming into orbit.
Fast forward to Finland, where the science wizards at VTT Technical Research Centre, along with Aalto University and some industrial buddies, thought: “Hey, what if we folded cardboard like that?” Thus, the FOLD and FOLD2 projects were born. Their goal? Turn humble cardboard into high-tech, planet-friendly packaging.
The result? Packaging that’s lightweight, extra durable, and stylish enough to make your unboxing videos go viral. Plus, it’s green—no more bubble wrap or pesky plastic foam. This origami cardboard can even be made from recycled materials. How cool is that?
Jarmo Kouko, the mastermind behind FOLD at VTT, says it best:
“Origami folding transforms cardboard into a flexible, protective, and visually appealing material unlike anything that’s previously been available for industry-wide production.”
We say: fold it, ship it, love it.
