deltaH Innovations’ Cool>Can self-cooling can wins London Packaging Week Innovation Gallery vote
deltaH Innovations’ Cool>Can™ has won the public vote at the London Packaging Week Innovation Gallery. Described as a world first, the shelf-ready, fully commercialised self-cooling can chills its contents by 10–15°C within 60 seconds at the push of a button. It was developed in partnership with Brains Brewery of Cardiff.
How the cooling mechanism works
The can lets users enjoy a chilled beverage without a fridge or cooler. A simple push-button mechanism activates an endothermic reaction within the can’s walls, which rapidly cools the can and its contents. The cooling reaction uses a mix of water and a patented salt formula, and the company says the entire can is fully recyclable.
The technology was developed by Welsh inventor James Vyse, and the can made its commercial debut with Brains on the day of the award. “Winning the public vote at London Packaging Week means the world to us. Cool>Can has been years in the making, and to see the public respond so enthusiastically – particularly on the same day as its commercial debut with Brains – is a real validation of everything the team has worked so hard to achieve. The journey to get here has been extraordinary, and this is just the beginning. We’re focused on scaling the technology and bringing Cool>Can to more brands and consumers around the world,” said Vyse. Wales was also the first country outside the US to manufacture canned beer, in 1935.
Runners-up and shortlist
Cool>Can finished ahead of MYPACK’s 100% Compostable Cosmetic Packaging in second place and MonoBox’s streamlined premium gift box in third. MYPACK’s material is a natural limestone CaCO₃ composite, used as an alternative to virgin fossil-based plastics, and offers a natural premium matte finish without solvent coatings.
The 2026 Innovation Gallery featured an expanded selection of 26 shortlisted developments from exhibitors across luxury, beauty, drinks and FMCG. Standout finalists included Holmen Elevate, billed as the world’s first ultra-lightweight kraftliner, starting at 72gsm; The Sovereign Bottle, the first British-made sparkling wine bottle; NutraCap™, a fibre-based alternative to plastic caps designed as a drop-in solution for existing production lines; and FS-HS Tunnel, a carbon-neutral shrink tunnel designed to reduce energy use by up to 80% and water consumption by 95%.
Voting by industry professionals
The Gallery was curated by an expert judging panel of senior packaging and innovation specialists from ThePackHub, Suntory, Haleon, Mars Wrigley and Fever-Tree. Visitors joined guided tours before voting by tapping their event badges against their preferred solutions. Unlike the main London Packaging Week Innovation Awards, the Gallery’s overall winner was determined by the professionals attending the exhibition.
Sema Tezel Basbug, Head of Marketing at London Packaging Week, said: “Cool>Can captured the imagination of our visitors and is a hugely deserving winner, but the quality across the entire Gallery was exceptional. The bar has been set incredibly high, and I’m excited to see how businesses across the sector work to clear it in future shows.”
London Packaging Week 2027 takes place at Excel London on 22-23 September 2027.
For more information, visit www.londonpackagingweek.com